As a business owner, you have probably read through countless documents on how to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away from your business. So, rather than make this another article on what works, here is your definitive guide for what doesn’t work. Believe it or not, you can learn a lot by looking at how NOT to deal with a problem.

Mosquito coils

These coils produce a smoke that confuses mosquitoes and other flying insects. Though effective at driving away or killing A mosquito coil.mosquitoes, there are two problems with this method. This smoke easily dissipates with a light breeze and becomes much less effective. And, according to a study written by UMDNJ and Rutgers, the emission of formaldehyde from burning one coil can be as high as that released from burning 51 cigarettes. These coils also contain allethrin, an insecticide that kills mosquitoes and may have a potentially harmful, accumulated effect on humans.

Bug zappers

Though good at drawing mosquitoes in, bug zappers do little to control populations of female mosquitoes, which are the mosquitoes that draw blood. According to Jonathan Day, associate professor of entomology with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences: “Bug zappers actually make things worse by attracting more mosquitoes …”

Essential oils

If you encourage employees to wear natural oils to reduce bites, you may want to consider a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This article claims non-DEET repellents cannot be relied on for prolonged protection in environments with the threat of mosquito-borne diseases.

Candles or torches

Studies show that citronella oil candles and torches can confuse mosquitoes and prevent them from smelling their next meal. However, these methods are considered as dangerous as mosquito coils because of smoke emissions.

The Solution

While there are many products promising mosquito control/deterrence, the Copesan experts say mosquito abatement is the only real solution. It is not without its challenges, however. For mosquito abatement to be effective it must be a community effort. Contact your local Copesan specialist to find out how you can be a part of the solution.