MEMPHIS, TN—Terminix is rolling out a new, environmentally friendly mosquito service for both residential and commercial customers nationwide. The service includes the use of a new, patented mosquito control technology.
Unlike other mosquito control products that simply repel, the active ingredient in the Terminix solution kills more than 90 percent of mosquitoes within the three weeks following application in areas surrounding a customer’s home or business. Field trials for this new control technology were conducted in 2012 and 2013 by researchers in Israel, and by government agencies in the United States.
A phased rollout of the service began in April in select southern markets, with nationwide availability at more than 300 Terminix branches by early June. The mosquito service is available as an annual contract with monthly service applications made by a Terminix professional during the designated mosquito season based on the customer’s locale. Pricing is based on a customer’s geographic location and size of the treated area.
The centerpiece of the new Terminix mosquito service is an Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait, or ATSB, a patented technology distributed exclusively to Terminix by Universal Pest Solutions, LP. This environmentally friendly solution contains sugar from fruit extracts and microencapsulated garlic oil that is regarded as safe around people, pets and food. While only female mosquitoes bite, both male and females require regular feeding on plant sugars for survival. The sugar in the solution acts as a bait and the microencapsulated garlic acts as a gut toxin. Following the sprayed application of the solution to a customer’s non–flowering vegetation and non–porous surfaces by a Terminix professional, the mosquitoes are attracted to the bait, eat it, and then die – more than 90 percent in the three weeks following an application.
While the science behind the solution seems simple, Terminix experts say it has taken more than five years to formulate a commercial product that effectively baits and kills one of the world’s most dangerous and annoying pests. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 million people worldwide die from mosquito–borne diseases every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported that, worldwide, mosquitoes kill more humans than any other animal on Earth–including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, and even humans, combined. In the United States, West Nile virus has been reported in every mainland state since first being detected in 1999. Mosquitoes also transmit other devastating viruses to humans such as encephalitis, dengue, Chikungunya and yellow fever.
“Our customers are concerned not only about protecting their families against the annoyance of mosquitoes, but also keeping their families safe from the diseases these pests may carry,” says Dr. Stan Cope, entomologist for Terminix. “This new Terminix mosquito service is the first–ever, environmentally friendly, proactive solution to controlling mosquitoes.”
Cope has worked closely on the research and development of ATSB and came to Terminix with an impressive background in pest management, specifically, mosquito control. He served as a medical entomologist with the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of captain. In his time with the military, Cope had oversight of all aspects of pest management for the Department of Defense, directed federal research programs and led global licensing agreements for pest control related products. He’s also currently vice president of the American Mosquito Control Association.
Leave A Comment