Biological Mosquito Larva Control Products Approved For Organics
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
In the fight against mosquitoes like the Aedes that transmit diseases such as the Zika virus and others around the country most people count on synthetic insecticide sprays to control adult mosquitoes and ignore breeding sites that produce hundreds of thousands of mosquito larvae the following products are biological mosquito larva control products approved for organics.
Insecticide sprays only kill adult mosquitoes but will not kill the larvae, you need a larvacide to really control mosquitoes at the source. The source of mosquito breeding is standing water if the water can be eliminated you naturally eliminate the need for pesticides but if not it can be treated effectively as part of an integrated pest management program to control mosquitoes.
Inspects all areas where standing water can breed mosquitoes.
Plant pots, bird baths, fountains, vases or any other receptacle that can hold water.
Gutters that have leaves and debris or where water sits .
Air conditioning units where water does not drain.
The key is to find and eliminate all standing water sources.
Applying insecticide sprays mist and foggers alone will not control mosquito populations. IGR’s and Biologicals are often ignored by pest control professionals and home owners because they do not know they exist or feel they are two expensive and cumbersome to use so they settle for the cheapest option thinking they will get control.
As part of an mosquito IPM service you can use insecticides, insect growth regulators, and biological bacteria such as BT and BTi.
Biological products for mosquito larva control
Bacillus thuringiensis – B.t. and B.t.i.
Bacillus thuringiensis i is a microbe found naturally in soil. It makes proteins that are toxic to immature insects called larvae so it is a larvacide. There are many types of Bacillus thuringiensis. Each targets different insect groups such as beetles, mosquitoes, black flies, caterpillars, and moths these are approved when used without synthetic additives or inert ingredients.
Mosquito Dunks, Mosquito Bits
Bacillus sphaericus is byproduct of the fermentation of a soil bacterium, Bacillus produces crystal protein spores ingested by the mosquito larvae and processed within the mosquitoes gut killing it.
Spinosad
Insect growth regulators approved for mosquito larva control
Pivot 10 IGR Concentrate Pyriproxyfen – 10%
Altosid Pro-G Mosquito Larvicide Methoprene, 1.5%
Archer IGR Pyridine – 1.3%