A novel tool to combat Aedes and Culex that transmit Dengue, Chikungunya, Yellow Fever, West Nile and Zika virusDengue, Chikungunya, Yellow Fever, West Nile and Zika virus are rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral diseases. They are difficult to diagnose and treat, and mosquito control is the only option to stop transmission. Aedes mosquitoes are difficult to control as they lay their eggs in very small breeding sites and have become resistant to chemical insecticides. The In2Care® Mosquito Station attracts and kills female mosquitoes with novel green ingredients that target both mosquito larvae and adults. It is the first to exploit the concept of ‘auto- dissemination’, resulting in an effective kill of mosquito larvae in breeding sites surrounding the Station.In2Care® Mosquito Stations can be placed and be maintained every 4 weeks using refill sachets. The product lends itself perfectly for use in vector control programs, particularly in hotspot areas, and by professional pest management companies for mosquito control services at resorts, hotels, and residential sites. How does it work?The In2Care® Mosquito Station is made of durable plastic and uses water with an odour lure to attract egg-laying Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. Once inside, mosquitoes contact the specially treated gauze near the water surface and get contaminated with a larvicide and a fungus. We exploit the fact that Aedes and Culex like to divide their eggs over multiple sites; by letting them fly out of the Station whilst carrying larvicide on their legs. They transport the larvicide and contaminate several breeding sites around the Station. In this way, we can kill |
A multi-impact tool:
- Kills all larvae inside the Station
- Kills larvae in surrounding breeding sites
- Kills exposed mosquitoes
- Stops virus development
An environmentally friendly solution
Insecticide resistance has become a major problem in countries infested by Aedes and Culex mosquitos. Area-wide insecticide fogging is still being used but is showing limited efficacy and major impacts on non-target organisms. This necessitates a switch to more sustainable, environmentally friendly vector control. The In2Care® Mosquito Station is the first Station that uses a biological control agent to kill mosquitoes.
It deploys an US-EPA-approved fungus that kills the mosquito several days after infection and can prevent disease transmission. The Station larvicide is US-EPA-approved and WHO-recommended for mosquito control and use in drinking water. Both bioactives have short half-lives and pose very low risks for non-target organisms.
In2Care® Mosquito Stations deploy a small dose of bioactive mixture in an enclosed point-source environment that is specifically attractive to mosquitoes. Only tiny amounts of larvicide will get spread to other breeding sites (mostly small man-made containers), which is enough to kill mosquito larvae (as <10 ppb PPF works well) but not enough to cause risk for non-target organisms like fish or mammals. In this way, our Stations offer an effective mosquito control option without drastic use of chemicals in the entire environment.
Published & Field validated ResultsIn2Care® Mosquito Stations were initially developed and scientifically validated in our mosquito laboratory using wild-type Aedes colonies. (www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/7/1/200). The Station deploys a very special type of gauze developed by In2Care. It holds the bioactives via electrostatic binding forces, which enables a high dose transfer when mosquitoes make contact and causes high levels of mortality (see http://www.pnas.org/content/112/39/12081.full.pdf). Field efficacy studies were performed in Trinidad, Cayman Islands, and Florida, USA. The Manatee County Mosquito Control District tests for US-EPA registration used local strains of Aedes aegypti and albopictus. Results confirmed that the fungus effectively kills mosquitoes several days after gauze exposure (graph A), which allows them to also disseminate larvicide to other sites before dying. There were massive reductions in adult mosquitoes produced in other sites near the Station; >80% were inhibited from emerging as adult mosquito (graph B). See all results at: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.2987/17-6642R.1 |
Station Deployment
This novel tool can complement Aedes vector control efforts and be used to control mosquito hotspots and pockets of persistent breeding. Several Governments, including US Mosquito Abatement Districts and the Trinidad and Hong Kong MoH, are using In2Care® Stations in residential sites and problem areas such as schools & hospitals where insecticide fogging is restricted. The product is also used in community based Aedes control programs.
Pest Management Professionals deploy In2Care® Mosquito Stations in their Mosquito control services to reduce Aedes mosquito numbers and nuisance at client sites. Many hotels and resorts have been made mosquito free and recommend our product.
The In2Care® Mosquito Station includes:
- Durable 5L water reservoir
- Lid with click-on mechanism
- Floater (to carry the gauze strip)
- Green time indicator cap (servicing reminder)
- Optional securing tools
- Refill sachets (gauze, bioactives & attractant tablets) for reactivation every 4 weeks
Email: info@in2care.org