Pests like mosquitoes and ticks can be a major deterrent from your clients enjoying their outdoor spaces, and some can be reluctant to have chemicals sprayed either out of fear for their children’s or pets’ health.
Thermacell, a manufacturer of insect solutions, offers a line of mosquito repellents and tick control tubes that are unobtrusive and odor free. The company’s mosquito-related products create a 15 foot by 15 foot zone of protection by using the repellent allethrin, a synthetic version of the repellent found in chrysanthemum plants.
The repellent devices are powered by a butane cartridge that heats and activates the device, dispersing the allethrin into the air.
The latest product Thermacell has to offer is its Halo Mosquito Repeller, which the company says provides odorless, invisible, continuous protection. It features a new 48-hour fuel system allowing it to use up to four butane cartridges at once, reducing the need to refuel between uses.
The Halo also features a ZoneCheck system that allows the user to know when the product is creating a mosquito protection zone. During the warm up phase that takes five to 10 minutes, the light ring will pulse and once the Halo is up to temperature, the ring will stay illuminated with a soft glow.
When fuel is low, the unit will pulse to alert the user to change cartridges. The Halo comes in three different color options of white, gray and brown to complement any patio or to blend in.
“Everything about traditional mosquito protection today is intrusive – and we don’t think it should be,” said Adam Chojnacki, vice president of innovation for Thermacell. “The smells, noise, smoke…it’s no wonder you feel the need to shower as soon as you walk inside. We’re excited to introduce more people to a better way. The Halo makes it easier than ever for people to enjoy the simplicity and convenience of this technology. We want people to focus on their positive experiences outdoors.”
Thermacell also sells tick control tubes that have a unique method of killing off deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease or Powassan virus. The tubes contain a material treated with permethrin, which field mice collect and take to their underground nests. Young ticks feed on field mice, but as the treated material gets on the mice’s fur, the ticks die before they reach adulthood and start feeding on humans and pets.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that permethrin is safe around both children and dogs, and there have been no reports of cats getting sick from eating a mouse with permethrin in its fur.
Unlike sprays or granules that are broadly distributed, the tick tube’s distribution method helps prevent beneficial bugs from being exposed to it. The product only requires two application per year and should be spread out every 10 yards.
The tick population will decrease a few weeks after the tubes have been distributed and after year one of the application, there will be a marked decrease. In a field test conducted by Harvard University, it found that virtually all mice were tick free within three weeks of the first application and after two years, there were no nymphal ticks found in the treated area.
For more information on Thermacell’s products, click here.