sarcasm in a girly voice: it makes the sticks ugly

normal: get over it

Yes, taping your sticks does increase the life of your sticks. You asked if we taped our tenor hybrids. Yes. We started at the top, taped down about 2 inches past the first taper, went back to the top, and then down the stick and stopped right after the second taper. If we didn't keep our sticks freshly taped, those Yamaha rims would chew right through them and they'd be done for by the end of a rehearsal day.

If you can afford to buy tape, keep your sticks covered with fresh tape. When the tape is all chewed up and the stick starts to show, don't just tape over it. Peel the tape off and re-tape the whole stick. It'll keep them looking and feeling great, and mostly this will keep you from gnawing up your sticks and having to go drop however many dollars on a new pair.

It would be cheaper to just buy tape and replace the tape when it gets chewed than to not tape and replace the sticks when they get chewed. Just to add on to what you said.