New Mosquito Control Technology Protecting Valuable Thoroughbreds
WILLIMANTIC, CT, July 31, 2001
BioSensory, Inc, has introduced a simple yet innovative mosquito control device to dramatically reduce the number of biting and infectious mosquitoes that inflict pain and disease on valuable thoroughbred horses. Known as Mosquito ‘Cognito®, this unique technology has already proven remarkably successful at Hawthorne Hill, the New Jersey training grounds for the United States Olympic Equestrian Team (USET).
Mosquito ‘Cognito, about as big as an oversized coffee mug, takes advantage of a unique concept in the field of mosquito control. Rather than using hit and miss sprays or foggers that hope to repel insects, the ‘Cognito emits Conceal®, an inhibitor that literally blocks the mosquito’s keen sense of smell. If mosquitoes can’t track a horse’s scent, they can’t find the horse, and they move on. The active ingredient in the Mosquito ‘Cognito’s Conceal is a basic food additive found in the essential oils of plants and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The “inhibitor” concept behind Mosquito ‘Cognito is simple. When horses exhale, they give off high levels of Octenol, an alcohol-based substance. Mosquitoes have sensors that are amazingly accurate in detecting the presence of Octenol, and once the scent is picked up, they will rapidly fly toward their victims. Placing a Mosquito ‘Cognito inside the entrance to any horse stable will release a level of Conceal many times more effective than conventional repellents.
When compared to traditional spraying of individual horses or the fogging of stables, Mosquito ‘Cognito has proven itself superior at numerous on-the-job test sites around the country. For example, professional trainers responsible for the valuable horses that make up our nation’s Olympic equestrian team are extremely pleased with the results.
“Given the amount of rain last summer, we would normally have had a terrible mosquito problem, with sensitive horses exhibiting numerous bites and welts,” says Michael Barisone of the USET. “Nothing we tried was nearly as effective as Mosquito ‘Cognito. Our personal experience proved that this product really works.”
Protection from West Nile
Unfortunately, some of today’s breeders are unaware of the devastating effects caused by mosquito-borne viruses, oftentimes until it’s too late. The West Nile virus, responsible for the deaths of six horses in New Jersey last year, has been spreading through the northeast and south faster than first anticipated, and scientists have been searching for viable alternatives to today’s chemicals and pesticide spraying. To encourage effective mosquito control alternatives that offer protection against West Nile, as well as Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis, research on technology like that used in Mosquito ‘Cognito has been jointly funded by both the public and private sectors.
“Mosquitoes home in on a horse’s exhaled CO2 and Octenol from as far away as 100 feet,” says BioSensory founder, Jim Nolen. “By putting Conceal into the air and literally blocking the insect’s sense of smell, Mosquito ‘Cognito dramatically reduces the chances of mosquitoes ever getting close enough to bite.”
Each ‘Cognito costs about $30.00. Its Conceal cartridge lasts 360 hours in continuous use, or about one to two months in normal operation, and the alkaline batteries used to drive its small fan last about 700 hours. To purchase Mosquito ‘Cognito and other BioSensory products, visit www.nomorebites.com. For a list of professional pest control companies that carry Mosquito Cognito, log onto www.biosensory.com.
BioSensory, Inc., is a high technology company located in Willimantic, Connecticut. Through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, the company has developed, tested and is marketing products utilizing the most advanced technology to control mosquitoes and biting insects without pesticides or toxic repellents.
