We have come a long way from the days of insect spray and bug zappers, first with insect repellent clothing and now the insect blocking patch. When worn, the new Kite Mosquito Patch enables you to go virtually undetected by mosquitoes for up to 48 hours. It's like an invisibility cloak for insects.
Blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes, which spread malaria and dengue fever, track their prey through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in breath using their olfactory neurons (sense of smell). Extremely sensitive to minute changes in carbon dioxide concentrations, they can sense carbon dioxide in our breath from long distances. Upon encountering a carbon dioxide plume, the mosquitoes orient and fly upwind, arriving eventually near us, ready to feed.
The Kite Mosquito Patch uses non-toxic compounds that are proven to disrupt a mosquito's ability to track you by blocking their carbon dioxide neurons. A small sticker that you can place anywhere on your clothing, backpack, tent, bike, or any gear you choose, each patch provides at least 48 hours of protection.
In general, companies are trying to move away from toxic substances such as DEET and look to plants for more natural alternatives. Kite’s ingredients are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use as flavors and fragrances. The various compounds, such as hexanol, occur naturally in the flavor and aroma of plants like pineapple. This is similar to nootkatone, a compound in grapefruit that has also shown to be effective as a natural insect repellent.
ieCrowd, the company behind the Kite Mosquito Patch, is on a mission to not only provide affordable and superior insect protection in the US, but also across malaria stricken countries around the world. For $35, you can order 10 Kite patches for yourself, while donating 10 patches to someone in need. There is no mention of actual delivery dates over on the Indiegogo fundraising campaign as of yet.