Well, I put the quirky-sounding Buzz Off Pizza to the test to see if the company's message is true or just a bunch of talk, and let me tell you, I'm feeling a bit stung by the whole experience.
"The new pizza is loaded with garlic, tomatoes, hot peppers and onions, which studies say can naturally repel mosquitoes," the company stated in an email announcing the dish. "Pizza Pizza believes Everyone Deserves Pizza…except mosquitoes."
The pizza is available in stores as of June 28, in case you want to give this pizza a try.
And if you're not itching to try it right away, don't worry, because I did it for you.
The Method
Pizza Pizza box.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
I went to my closest Pizza Pizza located at Church and Wellesley in Toronto and grabbed a Buzz Off Pizza by ordering the pie online.
I had planned out my route to make sure there was a leafy, shade-fille park nearby that I knew would be a great spot to get bit by bugs, especially if I had food.
I was wearing a dress with my legs and arms out and it was around 27 degrees Celsius, so it was quite hot.
Pizza on the grass.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
I sat on a park bench in a grassy area, surrounded by trees, birds and bugs.
Before taking my first bite, I took a slice of my pizza and placed it on the grass close by to monitor how many insects it attracted. Then I proceeded to consume the other slices with the box open on the picnic table.
I should probably mention that bugs love me a little bit too much. I guess my blood is as sweet as honey or something, so doing this test was something I dreaded a lot. Still, the results shocked me.
The Experience
Buzz Off Pizza.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
When I picked up the pizza and walked over to the park, all I could smell was the hot sauce. There was a lot of hot sauce on it, even though I hadn't spotted it in the pie's description. It was honestly so overpowering. I kept thinking to myself: "Yikes, it repels people too..."
But regardless, once I got to the park and started eating the Buzz Off Pizza, my experience was quite pleasant. There were, in fact, no bugs or mosquitoes around the pizza, even though I could see them swirling and investigating my coffee.
However, all I could taste from the pizza was the hot sauce. It wasn't even spicy. It tasted like hot sauce without the heat, which wasn't the greatest experience because I'm not a fan of ketchup.
Bird eating a pizza slice.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
The pizza sitting on the grass started gaining attention, but it wasn't from mosquitoes or bugs. Rather, birds and bees were making their way around the slice and taking jabs at it.
I pushed them away to save them from the future stomach pain that could be caused by the gooey hot sauce, which, as I can imagine, can't be good for birds or humans.
However, after a few minutes, I got attacked by a bee, hornet, small flies and ants. But Pizza Pizza was right. They did not attack the pie at all. It was me holding the pizza that they were more interested in.
Mira bit by a bug and a bug on her hand.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
I guess you could say the Buzz Off Pizza works — sort of. It repelled insects, although it didn't repel them from me and I did get a few mosquito bites.
The Science
After this experiment, I had to find out more about the idea of spicy food and bugs and it turns out Pizza Pizza wasn't making it all up.
Landscaping company The Green Goddess says that the "spicy qualities of peppers can also be used for organic pest control on plants and gardens. Peppers contain capsaicin, an organic compound that irritates almost all insects."
Additionally, according to National Pesticide Information Centre, "Capsaicin is an animal repellent that is also used against insects and mites."
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) considers it to be a biochemical pesticide because it is a naturally occurring substance," the website stated.
The ingredient in pepper, capsaicin, is often used in aerosols, liquids or granular formulations. When an insect comes into contact with the substance, it can "damage membranes in cells and disrupt the nervous system."
Capsaicin is safe to consume in peppers and it's not toxic, although too much of it can be very irritating to your eyes and sinuses. It's the key ingredient in pepper spray, and it's also the stuff that will make your eyes water when you chop a pepper at home.
But, like, who knew? Maybe the main ingredient in any BBQ from now on should be foods with spicy qualities. It'll save you time and money trying to get the bugs away from your outdoor experiences.
Final Thoughts
On the plus side, for around $20, I ate a pizza at a park without insects digging into it. But does the taste beat the inconvenience? That's a no for me.
My stomach still hurts from all the spiciness found on the pizza and even though I enjoy the flavour kick, it felt a little too overpowering for me.
The other vegetables on the slices didn't make as much of an impact as the hot peppers and that's such a shame because I love garlic. I think there should also be more cheese on the pizza to make up for all the hot sauce and tomato sauce consistency. But oh well.
If you are looking for a meal to enjoy in a park that is quick and easy to find and you don't want to spend your time shoeing away bugs and scratching your bites, honestly, this pizza is the way to go.
It's apparently a particularly bad year for mosquitoes in Canada, so every little bit of bloodsucker repellent will help you this summer.
CTV spoke with Laura Ferguson, assistant professor of biology at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, who shared "It's definitely been a trend to some extent that people are noticing anecdotally."
So if you're worried about bites, just make sure your next outdoor meal is on the spicy side, whether it's a Buzz Off Pizza or something else.
As for me? I'll be trading in my DEET-infused bug spray for a mini bottle of tabasco hot sauce that I'll keep in my purse.
Pizza Pizza box.
Pizza on the grass.
Buzz Off Pizza.
Bird eating a pizza slice.
Mira bit by a bug and a bug on her hand.