The last part of that title was a bit dramatic. My bad. Couldn’t resist. But it does feel like combat when trying to keep insects away. Anyway, I’m here to sing the praises of Simba Natural Mosquito Repellent Stickers. I thought it was BS at first but it turns out to be a good alternative way to keep my kid bite free. You know that bug repellant spray of any kind (natural or not) isn’t recommended for babies under 12-months-old. Even when they are 12-months and older you might not be super gung-ho to put harsh chemicals on your little one since their skin is so sensitive.

My little still breaks out in non-descript rashes whenever some new product is introduced to her body, so I have to be careful with what I use, but I digress. Back to Simba Natural Mosquito Repellent Stickers.

I’ve been using them on my almost two-year-old since she was about 10-months-old and again, they work. They’re DEET-Free and contain citronella and lemongrass extract. They come in packs of 16 that you can purchase on Amazon. You can stick them anywhere, from your child to strollers, cribs, etc.

My backyard is Mosquito City. I usually place one sticker on my daughter’s back (so she can’t mess with it) every single time we go out there, with the most recent time being last Sunday, and so far she has not been bitten. We also tested it out at a birthday party in Prospect Park and no bites. This brand also has bracelets and I’m willing to bet those are just as effective.

That’s not to say that these things are going to work for everyone. As you know, no mosquito repellent is 100% effective and some people are more prone to bites than others plus, mosquitos are starting to evolve to where they can resist certain compounds in certain repellents, so effectiveness may vary (depending on how gangsta your mosquitos are), but these stickers have become my go to. There are tons of repellent stickers on Amazon but I initially chose this brand because of the cute lion (my daughter is a Leo) and because it had the most positive reviews of the ones I researched.

So far so good.

Here are some other methods you can consider for repellent or in conjunction with the stickers, once your child is old enough:

California Baby Bug Repellent 

This is citronella, lemongrass, and cedar-oil based, deet-free, plant-based and toxin free and it seems to work too. I’ve tested it out multiple times on myself and I just started using this on my daughter in conjunction with the stickers. It’s a good pick my pick for the natural variety of bug repellents.

Picaridin

Picaridin is deet-free but it’s just as powerful and it’s not natural. You can read more about deet vs picaridin here. I love this stuff. LOVE! I try to reach for the natural repellents most of the time, but this stuff is the truth. I’ve only used it on myself and my husband (particularly in tropical countries) and it’s a winner. Right now I feel that my daughter is too young for it but when she gets to the age where she starts going to camp and doig outdoorsy stuff then this is what I’d use.

Permethrin

Permethrin is super hardcore and definitely not for people who prefer natural, more organic methods. Permethrin should never be applied to your skin but you can treat your clothes and gear with it (and apply more standard repellent on your skin to use in conjunction with). It lasts about 6 washes according to the bottle. It has a powerful smell at first but it’s odorless once it dries and treating your clothes can be a process (it’s best to do it outdoors or in a well-ventilated room). I treated my clothes with permethrin for travel to two very mosquito heavy places—Ghana, and Bali, and I found it super effective. I actually watched a mosquito continuously try to land on me in different spots but it was as if there was an invisible barrier that kept the bug away from me. Eventually, that mosquito gave up.

All of the above repell other types of bugs but you can read the product labeling for information. Happy Insect Combat!

This post is NOT sponsored nor does it contain affiliate links. I really just like these products. Again, these claims are not absolute. No mosquito repellent is 100% effective and what worked for me may not work for you but I hope this is a step in the right direction for your research.