SPOKANE, Wash. -- With summer on the way and fears about Zika virus spreading worldwide, a leading insect repellent brand is expanding its product line to include wearables.
Sterling International Inc., the company behind RESCUE! insect traps and attractants, has expanded its product line to include spatial insect repellents, including a new wearable repellent device called GoClip.
The active ingredients in GoClip are all-natural essential oils that serve as a spatial repellent to keep insects away. The oils are infused into a porous core that allows a controlled release over a 48-hour period. That core is housed in a metallic plastic cover with a clip that easily attaches to a shirt collar, waistband, cargo shorts pocket, hat or lanyard.
When GoClip is worn, the fragrance, pleasant to humans, disperses into the air and helps shield the wearer from insect landings. The repellency lasts 48 hours total, or six days – based on eight hours' use per day. When not in use, the resealable zippered pouch helps it maintain potency.
The launch of the GoClip follows years of development that began with a Department of Defense Grant awarded to Sterling in 2008 for a wearable "personal insect repellent device" to protect soldiers in the Middle East from mosquitoes and sandflies.
"We knew consumers would find value in a long-lasting repellent device that protects the space around them from not only mosquitoes, but also biting flies and ticks," explained Sterling President Rod Schneidmiller. "There is nothing to spray or apply to your skin, and the combination of lemongrass, clove, peppermint and cinnamon oils is a pleasant scent."
The GoClip retails for around $5 and is available at select retailers nationwide.