KILL MOSQUITOES BEFORE THEY BECOME OLD ENOUGH TO BITE:

Kills mosquitoes for 30 days or longer when placed in standing water outdoors. Can be used in bird baths, rain barrels, old automobile tires, ponds, ditches, unused swimming pools, tree holes, flower pots, roof gutters or wherever water accumulates. The mosquito eggs are very hardy and manage to live under almost all conditions. When the water temperature is right, the eggs hatch and become mosquito larvae which swim around eating and growing. In about a week they become full-grown mosquitoes and fly out of the water looking for someone to bite. Mosquito Dunk float on water and will keep on working for 30 days or longer and are completely biodegradable. While floating, they slowly release a natural mosquito-killing biocontrol agent at the waters surface. This agent gradually settles in the water where it is eaten by mosquito larvae growing there.

How Does EPA Ensure the Safest Possible Use of Mosquito Dunks?

EPA must evaluate and register the biological mosquito control dunks before they may be sold, distributed, or used in the United States. The Agency is also in the process of reassessing, and reregistering when appropriate, all older pesticides (those registered prior to 1984) to ensure that they meet current scientific standards. To evaluate a mosquito control product for either registration or re-registration, EPA assesses a wide variety of potential human health and environmental effects associated with use of the product. The producer of the mosquito control must provide data from tests done according to EPA guidelines. These tests determine whether the product has the potential to cause adverse effects on humans, wildlife, fish, and plants, including endangered species and nontarget organisms. Other tests help to assess the risks of contaminating surface water or ground water from leaching, runoff, or spray drift. If a pesticide meets EPA requirements, the pesticide is approved for use in accordance with label directions. The EPA Registration Number on Biological Mosquito Dunks 6218-47 EPA Est. No. 6218-MD-2

HOW MOSQUITO DUNKS WORK....

Mosquito Dunks can be used in all types of standing water sites where mosquito larvae grow before becoming adults. Alternate wetting and drying will not reduce their effectiveness. To prevent dunks from being washed away, anchor them using a string tied through the center hole, or they can be staked in place. Mosquito dunks contain no poisonous chemicals and are harmless to other living things. Each Dunk of Bti treats 100 sq.ft of water surface regardless of depth. Mosquito larvae will feed on them and will be killed continuously. You will then be rid of biting adult mosquitoes for the entire season. Mosquito dunks, which dry out will start working again when they become wet. Unused dunks will remain active indefinitely.

How Are Mosquitoes Controlled with Mosquito Dunks?

The first step in mosquito control is surveillance and analysis of reports from the public. Mosquito control programs also put high priority on trying to prevent a large population of adult mosquitoes from developing so that additional controls may not be necessary. Since mosquitoes must have water to breed, methods of prevention may include controlling water levels in lakes, marshes, ditches, or other mosquito breeding sites, eliminating small breeding sites if possible, and stocking bodies of water with fish species that feed on larvae. Biological measures may be employed to kill immature mosquitoes during larval stages. Larvicides target larvae in the breeding habitat before they can mature into adult mosquitoes and disperse. Larvicides include the bacterial insecticides Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and Bacillus sphaericus. Mineral oils and other materials form a thin film on the surface of the water which cause larvae and pupae to drown. Mosquito dunks are apply directly to water and will keep on working for 30 days or longer and are completely biodegradable.

What Can I Do to Reduce the Number of Mosquitoes in and Around My Home?

The most important step is to eliminate potential breeding habitats for mosquitoes. Get rid of any standing water around the home, including water in potted plant dishes, garbage cans, old tires, gutters, ditches, wheelbarrows, bird baths, hollow trees, and wading pools. Any standing water should be drained, including abandoned or unused swimming pools. Mosquitoes can breed in any puddle that lasts more than 4 days. Make sure windows and screen doors are "bug tight." Replace outdoor lights with yellow "bug" lights. Wear headnets, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants if venturing into areas with high mosquito populations, such as salt marshes or wooded areas. Use mosquito repellents when necessary, always following label instructions.