We have to admit, but when we were first approached to test this gadget, our ‘snake oil’ warning sensors started to flash. “How can a battery operated gadget ease sting-pain?” we gasped out loud to no-one in particular. “Can it really perform as well as the fleshy dock leaves that roam wild and free on our allotment? Will it be an improvement on the 40 year old, encrusted tube of savlon that lives at the back of the tea towel drawer?”
We’re not short of sting-y scenarios to test out the Bite Away – Rich’s garden maintenance business often sees him flailing around in all sorts of spiky undergrowth and foliage. We’ve also got a wild bee hive down on the allotment which – any time soon* – will be full of lovely honey and obligatory bees, which are sure to turn cantancerous as we steal fistfulls of their sticky golden treasure. For convenience, however, we turned to our old pal the nettle and proceeded to self-flagellate for the purposes of this review.
The instruction manual tells us that the Bite Away is designed to deliver a small burst of heat (called ‘localised hyperthermia’) that encourages a natural response from the body to reduce pain. It does this through the small ceramic pad situated on its snout – the pad is positioned on the epicentre of sting, and the user can select either a three second burst (for sensitive types) or a six second burst (for macho heroes).
The three second heat burst we self-administered felt a bit freaky at first, but once once you realise it’s not going to intensify to horrendous levels and sear your flesh in the manner of a sadistic, cigarette-wielding bad guy from a gangster flick, you can relax and let the gadget do its stuff. Clever – and it actually works. After a single application, our scratchy, self-induced nettle injury was left appeased and itch-free.
Bigger tasks may await. We are currently embroiled in this year’s cider making which is resulting in an absolute wasp-fest** as the local stripey pests clamour for our delicious juice. No stings have been registered at the time of writing, but our Bite Away remains on red alert, just in case.
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The Bite Away costs £26.99 and you can buy one HERE
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* It remains currently unoccupied, but we’ve reduced the rent to see if that makes a difference.
** Accompanied by the sound of loud, sustained swearing.
