Mosquito Repellent Bracelets - do they work?

[Tenaj]

Any brand recommendations?  Are they worth the price?

[PrincessMommy]

we tried it with my granddaughter,  who suffers terribly from mosquito bites and it didn't work at all.  Sorry. 

I then tried the Dynatrap. It worked OKAY... it depended on the area that it was placed.  We also have a 1 acre lot, which it definitely didn't cover.  Back of house is shady, front of house is partly sunny. 

This year we've moved to the chemicals via a company that comes out every 3weeks...which I hate doing for other reasons, but we can actually go outside now.   I'm happy to report that I haven't noticed any difference in the bee or butterfly population, which is much healthier at this new house than at the previous house.  

[Ailaena]

Here, bug repellent depends on the season and the location and the time of day, but the bracelets only seem to work in the sense that the mosquitos don’t land on the bracelet...

That’s not fair, I guess.  When ds was a baby, we went to an outdoor movie by the lake and put on on his foot and one on his arm and he didnt get bit, so maybe, in some circumstances, they work ok?

Now he’s at a forest school, so here is my advice: lightweight long sleeves and long pants, 20% picardin, stay away from areas that are really thick with mosquitos.  BUT the long sleeves thing does not work for me - they bite the backs of my upper shoulders and just below my elbow through the clothing.   

Edited July 12, 2019 by Ailaena

[Farrar]

I've also never seen any that really worked. Sorry.

Bug spray and long sleeves/pants are really the only things that work.

If it's for your backyard, doing a full inventory (or, honestly hiring someone to do it who is an expert) of all the standing water and breeding spots, using mosquito dunks and the little mini versions are one of the best safe ways to deal with it. And there are sprays that supposedly are better - you can hire a company. If you're trying to be really eco-friendly, citronella burning and fans outside are the best. Some people I know have their own sprayer and they spray their yard with a sort of essential oils thing - it works basically like the citronella and keeps things away for a few hours.

[ktgrok]

Nope. They don't. Neither does Skin So Soft, or dryer sheets, or whatever. Also, the herbal stuff works but only for about 30 minutes. 

Best bet is 20% Picardin for regular use. For occasional use 20% Deet works well, but Deet isn't great to use every day. It's a sometimes thing - there isn't any evidence of harm from some use, but it builds up over time. 

I studied this a lot two summers ago, as I was pregnant in Florida during the Zika outbreaks and we have a ton of mosquitoes, even in the house. Sawyer makes a non aerosol pump spray that works great and has nearly no fragrance - you will NOT smell like bug spray, or a lotion if you don't want a spray, and Off now makes a Picaridn aerosol spray that does have a stronger smell but it isn't a terrible smell - doesn't smell like bug spray exactly (easier application when my hands are painful but end up breathing more in). There is another brand that makes an aerosol picardin one, I forget the name, maybe Repel, but we did NOT find it worked as well, it smelled weird, and felt greasy. 

For "natural" the lemon eucalyptus ones work, Repel makes one, but they tend to cause more reactions than the "chemical" ones, so another example of natural not equalling better/safer.  

[ktgrok]

Oh, for spraying outside, I learned that mosquitoes tend to hide up under eaves and other overhangs/tables/etc and to rest on vertical surfaces like walls. Bees generally don't, so spraying those spots is a good way to hit the mosquitoes and lessen the impact on the bees. And of course, don't spray flowers, etc. 

[Storygirl]

We use the bug bracelets, and they have worked for us. Not as a complete deterrent, perhaps, but DD says she gets fewer bug bites when she wears one. We often put them on the ankles instead of wrists when they are going to an evening event, such as a bonfire. I can smell the bracelet when I am standing next to a kid who is wearing one, or if it is sitting out on a nearby table. When not in use, we keep them in a baggie or plastic box.

I feel more comfortable having my kids wear a bracelet than spraying things right on their skin, but we do also have bug spray. We don't use it very often, but I would use it if we were at a buggy event, rather than depending solely on the bracelets.

[GoodGrief]

I’ve heard several people praise the Thermocell and was thinking about getting one for hikes during the mosquito season.