NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Betty Galligan, APR
Newberry PR & Marketing
401.433.5965 USA betty@newberrypr.com
ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE MOSQUITO PROTECTION SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO
New technology now available in Canada in candle form; a convenient alternative to sprays, foggers, traps, repellents containing DEET; helps protect against mosquitoes that may carry West Nile
WILLIMANTIC, Connecticut USA (August 12, 2004): BioSensory, Inc., a U.S.based manufacturer of advanced technology products to control mosquitoes and biting insects without insecticides such as Pyrethrin or repellents containing DEET, announces its Conceal® inhibitor, available as a cartridge in BioSensory’s battery-operated Mosquito ‘Cognito® product and now as a Conceal® Candle, has been proven to Citronella superior for warding off biting insects.
“Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide and Octenol, chemicals that humans and animals emit when they exhale, which can be detected from 100 feet away,” states Jim Nolen, BioSensory president. “The concept behind our Conceal® technology is that it inhibits mosquitoes’ sense of smell, blocking their ability to track scent. In U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory tests, Conceal was twice as effective as DEET and more effective than Citronella at preventing landings. Fewer landings mean fewer bites.”
BioSensory’s Conceal® is an inhibitor, not a repellent. The inhibitor molecule is naturally found in a number of essential oils of plants and is widely used as a food flavoring. A mosquito with a “nose full of Conceal®” has difficulty smelling anything or anyone, so they can’t home in on their targets.
In 1995, a Canadian study was conducted by L. Robbin Lindsay et. al. from the Department of Environmental Biology at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario Canada. The study was done in a deciduous woodlot in Guelph, surrounded by large snowmelt pools where large numbers of mosquitoes are found. Human test subjects conducted biting counts using 3% citronella candles, 5% citronella incense, plain unscented candles and no candles. Lindsay concluded that the overall percent reduction in mosquito bites provided by the citronella candles was 42.3% and plain candles was 23.1%. Given the reduction in mosquito biting activity produced by the act of burning candles, the addition of 3% citronella to candles further decreased biting activity by only 19.2%, which is not significant.
“Our technology is quite sound and continues to be proven effective for both humans and animals,” adds Mr. Nolen. “If we can educate the masses about the product, as we are attempting to do, Conceal® will soon make Citronella obsolete.” In 2003, world-renowned research entomologist Daniel L. Kline of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology (Gainesville, FL) along with Susan McKnight, BioSensory’s entomologist, conducted comparative tests in Florida swampland and Connecticut woodland to determine the effectiveness of Conceal®’s active ingredient against Citronella. Participants experienced between 26% and 64% fewer mosquito landings than those using Citronella or no/plain candles for protection.
“The active ingredient in Conceal® is almost a miracle product, and has been proven effective in many independent field tests,” states Ms. McKnight. “With major outbreaks of the West Nile Virus in both Canada and the U.S., mosquito abatement is at a crucial point. Scientists are seeking viable alternatives for consumers to today’s chemicals and pesticide spraying. Like the northern U.S., many parts of Canada are actually shallow glacial depressions which stretch for miles and have almost identical mosquito species to their U.S. counterparts although many of the insects are larger in Canada. When the snows melt, these depressions become like pools — perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The sheer number of mosquitoes in these areas can make the Everglades in Florida look like nothing,” she concludes.
Conceal® inhibitor is now available in a variety of attractive, fragranced candles to protect people from biting insects. Each candle, which retails for $6.00 – $20.00
US, has an effective range of up to 100 feet and is designed for outdoor use.
# # #
Established in 1996, BioSensory, Inc. is a U.S.-based manufacturer of advanced technology products to control mosquitoes and biting insects without insecticides such as Pyrethrin or repellents containing DEET. Patented and trademarked products include
The Dragonfly System, Mosquito ‘Cognito and Conceal Candles. 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 distributed environmentally safe products throughout the world. BioSensory is located in the Windham Mills Technology Center, 322 Main Street, Building 1, Willimantic, CT 06226-3149 USA. Phone: 860.423.3009; Fax: 860.423.3028; Web: www.biosensory.com
