Don't Bite Me! Patch

Black flies and mosquitoes are devils with wings! I hate them and I am sure many of you don't particularly care for them either. While I love my ThermaCELL, the refills can get costly and the unit can be bulky. I had heard about the Don't Bite Me! Patch and wanted to give them a try. I figured that if I didn't have to fire up a device or have extra weight in my pack that it would be beneficial. These patches take up no backpack space, weigh next-to-nothing and are kid safe.
 

The Don't Bite Me! Patch comes in different quantities and cost approximately $1 each.
These are the Product Features listed on their web site:

        * DEET Free
        * Deters not Repels
        * Lasts up to 36 hours
        * Total Body Coverage
        * Clear, Discreet Patch
        * Safe for Use on Children
        * Waterproof
        * Made in the USA
        * Individually wrapped
        * Acrylic Adhesive
        * Breathable Patch Material
        * No sprays
        * No lotions
        * No towelettes
        * Natural, Simple, Safe!

The Don't Bite Me! Patch provides an alternative to traditional insect repellent by deterring insects, not repelling them. Studies have shown that Vitamin B1 metabolizes in the body to reduce human odors attractive to insects.  Now you can simply put on a patch - The Don't Bite Me! Patch, for up to 36 hours of total body coverage.

Only apply patch to recommended areas: hip, rear, shoulder, back. For small children, the best place to apply the patch is between their shoulder blades or on their rear. Do not apply patch on biceps. The constant flexing of this muscle can cause skin irritation with the patch.

The first time I applied the patch I learned that last part the hard way. I wanted to see how irritated my skin might get (because that's the kind of guy I am). Sure enough, my bicep had some pretty nice swelling under the patch. Note-to-self: Next time, read and follow the directions. This is extremely good to know, especially if you place a patch on a child. It hurts like a mother coming off the bicep after a long day! This video (not recorded by me) shows how to put it on, but they show it on a forearm. Still not the best place for it, but you get the idea.

www.youtube.com/watch

Here are the Pros and Cons of the Don't Bite Me! Patch.

Pros: Once you have the patch on you don't have to worry about it for 36 hours. It's supposed to last that long. Another Pro is there are no sprays, no DEET and not having to worry about the product stinking and alerting game. It also helps because you don't have to pack a ThermaCELL and all of the refills you might need. It's supposed to reduce human odor that attracts bugs, so maybe it'll work in my favor for hunting, too. If it can reduce any odor I would find that beneficial. You can use it doing just about any activity, even swimming. Let's see a spray or ThermaCELL do that!

Cons: The patches cost roughly a dollar each. I bought the 5-pack to test out. I tested the product out three times. Two-out-of-three times I used the product I got bit. I placed one patch on the first time I went out. For a while I was fine, but soon the flies and mosquitoes were locked on to me and I got bit up. I went home and read the box again and it says if you weigh over 200 lbs. you may need to apply more than one patch. That's what I needed to know the first time (see earlier note-to-self). Weighing in at well over 200 lbs. I needed to apply at least two patches. I did just that. I applied two patches, waiting the allotted 2 hrs. and hit the woods. The second time I tested it I didn't get bit and thought I was home-free. Then came the third day of testing a couple weeks later. For most of the day I was fine, but about 12 hours after putting the patches on my hands got attacked. Three black fly bites later and I was miffed.

Now, you might think I'd give this product an immediate thumbs down, but I'm not going to do that. There are a few reasons why. First, the Don't Bite Me! Patch is less expensive than ThermaCELL refills and you can easily pack a bunch of these and take them on a plane. Second, no spray and no smell. The third, and quite possibly the main reason, is I plan on seeing if I need to put on three patches to get them to work. I sent a letter to the manufacturer to ask them about my size and if I might need to do something different. This was the response I received:

Couple of things could be going on here.

1. It depends if you are deficient in B1 in your diet.  Could be that you just need extra patches for a few days to replenish the B1 your body needs.
    
2. If you drink alcoholic beverages or smoke, this too could impact your results and could require another patch.

   Bottom line is the patch works for about 8 out of 10 people.  You could have one of these things going on or you could be in the 20% it just doesn't work for. Hope this helps. 

I might be deficient in B1, who knows. I drink and smoke about the same amount - maybe a beer/cigar or two each month. In one of our bear seminars I mentioned this product and a gentleman expressed his approval for Vitamin B1. He said he takes it a day before he goes hunting and does not get bit up. That will be my next test. Instead of buying a bunch of patches that I have to apply and take off, I am just going to pop a vitamin or two and not have to worry. We'll soon see as I plan on testing that theory this weekend on a deer hunt!