Avoid using wristbands to repel mosquitoes.
Companies claiming to produce a mosquito repellent wristband are making unproven assertions. Mosquitoes are repelled by neither DEET-infused wristbands nor by those featuring electronic devices. Does this Spark an idea?
Types
Wristbands that purport to repel mosquitoes may be covered in DEET, the most common mosquito repellent, or citronella. Others include an ultrasonic device that is supposed to frighten mosquitoes away. None are effective, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Expert Insight
Wristbands with mosquito repellent provided no protection against mosquitoes, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, because repellents do not work beyond 1 1/2 inches of the site of application.
Fun Fact
To prove that neither DEET- nor citronella-covered wristbands had any repellent effect, volunteers had to stick their arms into cages filled with mosquitoes while wearing the ineffective wristbands. Within 12 to 18 seconds, they were bitten.
Tags: mosquito repellent, England Journal, England Journal Medicine, Journal Medicine, repel mosquitoes