Well folks it's that time of year again. Flying blood suckers will be in full force and those who aren't ready will surely pay in blood.
I am one of those people that can't handle mosquitoes. When they bite me it tends to swell to the size of a quarter, and continue to itch on and off for up to a month. If they don't bother you, consider yourself lucky. Anyone like myself simply can't handle the barrage without some form of protection. There are many products on the market that help repel them, but they can all be problematic. In my quest to find the prefect mosquito repellent, I stumbled upon the best product ever. I will explain why I like it so much and how it compares to other products on the market.
From time to time I like to mention a product that I simply can't live without. Being a writer, not a product endorser, allows me to just shoot straight. I only talk about what I have found works best, and am always excited to share my findings with others. In the process of mentioning a product by name, I call and ask permission of the producer to do so. This allows me to get a detailed description of the product and verify there will be no issues mentioning a registered product. This week I will be writing about the amazing “Shannon's Bug Tamer Suit.”
Most insect repellents on the market are problematic at times. Rather than focus on preventing a bite, they attempt to keep the pest away. I will start with spray-on repellents. Most aerosol sprays contain ingredients that are known to cause cancer. They also only last so long and can be washed off with sweat and rain. Having to reapply means you have to carry the spray everywhere and add additional poison to your body when it stops working. As you can tell, I'm not a fan of the stuff!
Next in line are citronella candles and bracelets. These products came out on the market many years back. To be honest, I don't think they work well at all. The wind direction and strength play a role in how effective the candles are. If the wind is taking the scent away, mosquitoes can approach you from the upwind side and have a feast. They also blow out rendering them totally ineffective. The bracelets are much the same in that anything upwind of you will never come into contact with the repellent. With a consistent wind, these products will only be 50 percent effective at best. Not quality bite prevention in my book.
The newest product on the market are thermal repellents. They use a heat source, typically a small flame, to heat up a pad with repelling agents in it. The scent is vaporized and distributed through the air. They work well under optimum conditions, but as we all know, you can never expect perfect weather.
I am most disappointed with the hype focused around such products. I have found them to be expensive and mildly effective at best. First of all, you have to replace fuel cells and repellent wafers on a regular basis, and you never know when they should be changed. A turkey isn't going to call a time out in the middle of a hunt because your bug buster died.
You will have to just hold your ground and take the bites. The wind also can take the repellent away and leave you open on the upwind side. If you put the unit upwind of yourself it would work better, but you can smell the repellent and it says not to breathe it – another safety hazard. I have found they have worked when I am sitting still in one place, such as a porch, and not move around. If you want to change locations, you have to carry it with you. If the side effects outweigh what you are trying to prevent, it's not a good product! I would rather get bit by 1,000 mosquitoes than contract cancer from the products I was using to repel them.
The Bug Tamer Suit uses some built-in repellent, but also uses the mosquito’s anatomy against it. By adding a spacing mesh under the traditional mosquito net, the product prevents the pest from getting its hypodermic mouth near you. Preventing them from biting you at all has proven to be way more effective than attempting to run them off. The jacket part of the suit also has a see-through head cover that tucks into your chest and completely keeps them out. I have to say there is nothing like being covered in mosquitoes, and watching them try to bite to no avail. It's like being in the rain with a good suit on. You feel in control of the environment, instead of it controlling you.
I have shot several turkey with a scoped- and open-sight shotgun while wearing the hood. I was surprised that it didn't hinder my vision and ability to shoot like other headnets do. The suit is also breathable, which keeps you cool and can also be soaked in water and worn to add an additional cooling effect. Some southern hunters even freeze theirs and carry them to the stand-in a cooler. They say it will keep you cool for hours.
Needless to say, I'm sold on the suit. The only drawback is the suit being mesh doesn't hold up forever in our rose-and-pricker infested hills. I still get at least four years out of them and you can easily stitch up any tears. They are reasonably priced and worth every penny. I will never be without a Shannon's Bug Tamer Suit again, and highly recommend the product to anyone that spends time outdoors and hates being bitten up. To date, I have hooked at least 50 people on to the product, and expect many more to become faithful users. These suits are not only for hunting as they come in camouflage and other colors.
Good wishes, and thank you Mrs. Shannon for the wonderful phone conversation and amazing product. I'm so happy to have found you!