Last spring, I noticed a product called “BuggyBands”, a wristband consisting of spirals of colored plastic that was purported to keep mosquitoes and other biting insects away. It wasn’t sold as a garden product, but I immediately saw the usefulness for gardening, as in my neighborhood, the mosquito population must outnumber the human population about a thousand to one. As the product claimed to be plant-based and non-toxic and wasn’t that expensive, I thought I’d try it.
Well, I’m not impressed. Possibly the bands protected my wrists from mosquitoes (I honestly didn’t notice, being too occupied as swatting the mosquitoes trying to land on my head), but certainly mosquitoes came out in droves to feast on my blood when I slipped on a pair to do a bit of evening gardening. Maybe I should have worn the bands around my neck?
It turns out there are other brands of mosquito bands, so maybe some are better than others. But I’m not going to do any further testing. Once bitten, twice shy, after all.
Without daring to claim that mosquito bands are a rip-off, let’s just say they didn’t work for me.
Mosquitoes are not what they used to be anyway. Repellents that kept away the native sorts do nothing to repel those that were imported from Asia (in our region). To make it worse, the new mosquitoes are active during the day, and have no problem with our arid climate! There are even billboards in San Jose warning people of the daytime active mosquitoes!