Challenge
Mosquitoes have consistently posed a significant problem in numerous regions worldwide, including highly developed cities like New York and Mumbai. Although there are products available in the market to address this issue, they often present challenges in terms of cleaning or may even trigger allergies, thereby exacerbating the discomfort experienced by users.
Market Study
Deaths due to mosquito bites increase exponentially every year. Most insect repellents on the market are loaded with toxic chemicals, including DEET, which is so poisonous that even the Environmental Protection Agency says you should wash it off your skin when you return indoors, avoid breathing it in.
Material
Titanium dioxide – Mosquitos identify humans by the scent of carbon dioxide exhaled by humans. Titanium Dioxide mimics this human behavior and releases carbon dioxide tricking the mosquito of human presence.
How does it work?
Attractive toxin sugar bait builds its foundation upon two main facts.
1. Mosquitos need sugar more than blood.
2. Feeding sugar can keep mosquito bites away.
Attractive Toxin Sugar Bait
- The concept exploits the sugar feeding behavior of mosquitoes, attracting them to sugar feed from a source containing an insecticidal ingredient.
- They broadly consist of boric acid as the oral toxin, a sugar component – unrefined cane sugar as the sugar source – to encourage feeding on the ATSB, and a scented component – fruit, flowers, seeds and other scented material taken from local plants known to be popular feeding sources for mosquitos.
- They are technologically appropriate as they are simple and affordable to produce.
- The bait targets mosquitoes when they are sugar feeding rather than host seeking or resting, which are traditionally targeted by LLINs, IRS and ATSBs.
