In2Care Mosquito System

The way we treat for mosquitos has been the same for a long time. Applying a product to kill the mosquitos in the areas in which they land to rest has garnered good results for many years but it isn’t without it’s problems. Enter the In2Care Mosquito station.

Most people think the main problem is rain. The reality, is that the sun is the biggest factor that deteriorates mosquito product through UV light. Most pesticides are photosensitive. Rain can move product away from the treated area but we can’t control the rain or the sun. This leaves us with a problem. The products we apply do work, the challenge is keeping them working. My backpack mister, (whom I dubbed Mr. Mister) has a support plate made of plastic. Before we got he enclosed vans, these misters lived in the bed of a bug truck, constantly exposed to the rain and sun. After a couple years, I had to replace one of the units because that back plate was so brittle it would crumble if you touched it. All due to the sun and rain. The same thing happens to pesticides when we put them out so don’t feed me this line about pesticides in the soil for 100s of years. Max residual of most professional products is 3 months so that little can of raid that says it works for 1 year is full of malarkey. I like that word…. Malarkey.

By now, I hope everyone understands that standing water is a huge factor when it comes to mosquitos. Especially here in Maryville, Alcoa, and Knoxville TN. We like to store things outside like construction materials, tires, and equipment instead of being wasteful and throwing them away. Because of our climate here in East TN we also have lots and lots of flowers, plants and trees. Water is a part of sustaining just about any life of any kind. Whether the trees are shading an area causing it to hold water or the racing tires stored behind the garage are holding water, they both can cause mosquitos. Mosquitos need water, usually dirty and still, depending on the species, in order to lay their eggs. After a while those eggs hatch, pupate, and become adult mosquitos. So the more water problems you have, the more mosquito problems you could have. This standing water could be a million different places, including your clogged gutters or just low places in the yard.

In order to fix something you have to get to the source of the problem. Herein lies the problem with the way we do mosquito reduction. Standing water, where the problem is, cannot be treated with traditional products. There are some things that can be put in water but how are you going to find all the locations. Even then, some of them will be off property and we couldn’t do anything even if we knew where they were. Enter the In2Care Mosquito System. The In2Care station is basically a bucket of water that by color, design and odor, attracts the female mosquito to lay eggs in the water. There is a floating mesh on top of the water that she uses to land on while she lays her eggs. There is material on the mesh and in the water that prevents the eggs from pupating into grown adults. The female mosquito gets the material on her from the mesh and transfers that to those water areas you can’t find or weren’t even on your property. She contaminates those and even the eggs laid by other mosquitos die. That is getting at the source.

The active ingredients in the In2Care station are nontoxic to birds and mammals. “We make use of a biological fungus that is only toxic to insects. The larvicide deployed in the trap specifically targets mosquito larvae and is not toxic to higher organisms in this low concentration. For example, in other products this larvicide has even been approved by WHO for use in drinking water. Contaminated females will only spread tiny amounts of larvicide (a few micrograms) to other artificial small water bodies, which limits any risk for other aquatic organisms and fish.” In order for us to use the In2Care system, we have to get yet another certification. This ensures you that we know what we are doing and can do it safely. Even though a traditional mosquito treatment can be done safely, this new biological treatment is even safer. The 1 downside is it does not do anything for mosquitos looking for a blood meal. But, the female mosquito needs that blood meal to lay eggs so she will get there eventually. That means this treatment is a slow burn compared to the traditional treatment where you can see results immediately. However, the In2Care system is going to give the best results over time. As you can imagine, combining the 2 methods will give you the ultimate mosquito protection available since they deal with the problem from different angles. It’s the 1-2 punch to bring your backyard BBQ back to sanity.