As a child of the '90s, I am a major sticker fanatic. I have stickers on planners, stickers on my laptop, stickers on my desk — you get the picture.
So naturally, when I found out that there was a sticker solution to one of my biggest headaches of the summer, I was all ears. Mosquito bites are no big deal for some families, but for mine, they are pure torture. I'm super-reactive to them myself, but I can handle the misery. Kids, on the other hand, are not so patient.
Enter BuzzPatch, the easy and all-natural way to combat mosquitoes. Not only are there adorable stickers to keep the mosquitoes at bay, but there are also solutions for the ones that get through.
I was so excited to check out the BuzzPatches when they landed in my mailbox. The first thing I noticed when I opened the package were that these smelled seriously amazing. They're citrusy without being overpowering.
BuzzPatches are the brainchild of parents who saw their kids suffering through ugly mosquito bites year after year. The stickers use nonwoven fabric patches, infused with a combination of citronella and other essential oils that are perfectly safe for kids. The blend of essential oils masks the carbon dioxide we produce that attracts mosquitoes to us.
On a steamy early summer day, I decided to give the stickers my first shot. I grabbed the first sheet and my two gracious child volunteers and applied the stickers according to the directions. Then I sent the kids off to their usual backyard basketball.
It's recommended to use one patch for kids up to 2 years old, two patches for kids ages 3 to 5, and two to four patches on kids over the age of 6, depending on what they're wearing. Place the patches on the edges of clothes (sleeves, shorts, etc.).
Our first outing proved pretty successful. There were no mosquito bites to report, although we did wonder if it was a little too cool for the mosquitoes to fully make their presence known.
The BuzzPatch is most effective for the first eight hours that you're wearing it. It continues to be effective for up to 72 hours after opening. The patches, which come in so many cute designs, also come in a resealable pouch, where they're good for up to 24 months.
I decided to break out the patches again on a more humid day when rain was in the forecast. In the hours before, the blue skies tricked you into going outside, only to be met with a wall of thick air. You could see the mosquitoes all around the yard, and I had yardwork to do that couldn't wait. Out came the BuzzPatches.
I was shocked to find that I ended up with only one mosquito bite that day. It was on my ankle, thanks to my too-wide pant legs that I left unprotected. While I was bummed to have overlooked my legs, I had the perfect opportunity to try the chemical-free Itch Relief Patches.
It was super easy to stick the patch on. It uses a grid-shape that helps relieve itchiness by helping the skin adjust the lymphatic system, which then drains the insect saliva that makes us itch. The instructions say the bite doesn't need to line up with a hole in the grid, so you don't have to place it in any precise position to get relief, which is ideal for parents with squirmy little ones.
I was surprised to feel relief after just a little while. The packaging says as soon as 30 to 60 seconds, and that feels about right, judging from my experience.
I took the patches out again on a sunny, buggy day. Since there was a lot of outdoorsing on the menu, it seemed like a good day for it. It might have cemented the patches as a new obsession, since I saw how well they held up under a lot of activity.
They held up pretty well through the bump and tumble of shooting hoops. The patches stayed firm as my volunteer squirmed around a hammock, trying to shoot the ball while lying down. So far, so good.
We did briefly lose one once we started sliding around during soccer, but once the sticker was put back on the shirt, it stayed put through the rest of the day's events. All things considered, I was impressed.
A lot of fans are raving about how this is an awesome, chemical-free, plant-based solution to family mosquito woes. Some even report seeing their kids moving the sticker from one spot to another, but still getting protection.
The itch patches are also a major help when mosquitoes do break through. They also work to relieve midges, sandflies, and tick bites. All in all, these seem like an awesome way to keep kids and adults safe from bug bites this summer.
LittleThings was gifted these products from the brand free of charge, but that in no way influences the way we comment on or review them.
