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American Morning
How to Protect Yourself From Bug Bites
Aired August 02, 2001 - 9:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: The West Nile virus has been detected in Ohio for the first time. The Department of Health says a dead blue jay infected with the virus was found in Lake County. That's about 25 miles northeast of Cleveland. No human cases of the disease have been reported in the state.
Since 1999, the virus has killed nine people in New York and New Jersey. Mosquitoes can carry the West Nile Virus from birds to humans and those pesky insects are just about everywhere. There are a wide range of weapons to help us protect ourselves from them and me to talk about that is Dexter Shorter of Workbench Ace Hardware.
Dexter, hi.
DEXTER SHORTER, WORKBENCH ACE HARDWARE: Good morning.
KELLEY: Glad to have you come in.
SHORTER: Good to be here.
KELLEY: Let's start with this big machine over here first. What is that? Tell us what that is.
SHORTER: This product is called a mosquito magnet. It's designed to attract all bloodsucking insects. This virtually takes propane converts it into carbon dioxide, which would be breathed. The mosquitoes are attracted to that. It also comes with a product called Orthinal (ph), which is what the unit is called. This unit here covers about an acre. It sells, it retails for only $1,295 and it's available at all Workbench stores.
KELLEY: That's not $12.95, is it?
SHORTER: That is not $12.95.
KELLEY: 1,295 bucks. Yes, so that's pretty expensive. I mean you've got to have a pretty good mosquito problem or really hate mosquitoes. I mean we've got a lot around in the west where I am and by a river, so this might be helpful for something like that, for somebody's property that has a lot of mosquitoes.
SHORTER: That is fine for that. That's fine for that. If you have a very wooded area, a neighbor has a swimming pool. Mosquitoes like that kind of stuff. But this, like I said, this unit is designed virtually to eliminate your mosquito problem or any bloodsucking insect.
KELLEY: Does it work? Have you heard?
SHORTER: It does work. It runs about 21 days on a full tank of propane. You change the net every three weeks, change the Orthinal (ph) every few weeks. You can actually see the mosquitoes that you've caught inside the unit.
KELLEY: Yes, the good news is you didn't bring any mosquitoes for us to test this, but we'll take your word for it.
SHORTER: Thanks.
KELLEY: OK, let's go on to something else. What's this mosquito repellent therma cell thing?
SHORTER: This is called a therma cell. Now, this has been used by the military. This product is also great. It creates a 15 feet barrier around you in the area that you're sitting in. This product lasts about four hours and it sells for only $24.98.
KELLEY: Now, that, the first one you showed us, the mosquito magnet, that works with...
SHORTER: Propane.
KELLEY: Propane, right. And this has what in it that's...
SHORTER: This has, it runs off butane. It has an insect repellent mat in front of the unit here that you would put on, put on here and it actually stands. It's just a mild odor that repels the mosquitoes or any bloodsucking insect.
KELLEY: One of these things smells like garlic I was thinking this morning. What's that?
SHORTER: That is a great product also. This is a yard spray.
KELLEY: Mosquitoes, vampires, it's just kind of double duty, huh?
SHORTER: This is a great yard spray that you will use...
KELLEY: I can smell it a little bit even if with you just holding it up.
SHORTER: Yes, it is very strong. This is 42 percent garlic, very, very strong. You want to use this in the late afternoons, spray your yard with the product.
KELLEY: But nobody will come over for your barbecue.
SHORTER: That's the good thing about this product. The odor dissipates so you don't have to worry about this door of garlic.
KELLEY: But you know what's good about that? Even if it does smell like garlic, and I like garlic anyway. You know, I mean not everybody hates the smell of garlic. But it's more natural then...
SHORTER: Yes.
KELLEY: Instead of a lot of insecticides?
SHORTER: Exactly. You don't have to worry about that kind of issue with that.
KELLEY: Yes. And how long does it last?
SHORTER: This unit lasts about 48 hours. That's 48 hours to set in and then about two weeks you would have to do it again. That's it.
KELLEY: OK. All right, what are these little guys?
SHORTER: This is a great product. A lot of people have gutters, bird baths and such things as that. You would take this product and throw it into standing water and it lasts about 30 days. It kills the larvae so you don't have to worry about the mosquitoes breeding.
KELLEY: And it doesn't hurt the birds in a birdbath?
SHORTER: It doesn't hurt the birds or anything like that.
KELLEY: OK.
SHORTER: Great for around your swimming pools.
KELLEY: OK. I see you have some of the traditional things here, too, something that you can just spray on and foggers and maybe a mosquito lamp. How effective are those?
SHORTER: Those are great if there's no breeze. If there's wind or breeze, then you're not getting the proper use of the product. Then again, the best product that I would like to show you that is one, the Mosquito-Matic and the other would be when you use these sprays such as the cutters and stuff like that, you want to look at what the active ingredient is, such as the deet and how much of it is in it so you can get the proper product for what you need.
KELLEY: Did you bring any of those little wrists for kids, because some people and little kids are allergic to some of these.
SHORTER: That is also...
KELLEY: And you maybe don't want to spray some of this stuff on yourself.
SHORTER: That is a great product, also. It's great for kids that are allergic to any type of sprays. This product here lasts about 60 hours which...
KELLEY: How does it work? What is it? It's a little wrist...
SHORTER: It's a wristband. It has a product in it called Drunal (ph). And what it does, it takes about 15 minutes to activate once you take it out of the package. Take it out of the package, put it on a kid, they can go into swimming pools, hiking, camping, whatever the case may be. It also comes with a reusable case so that you can use it again so you don't have to dispose of it immediately.
KELLEY: Super. OK, well, there's some things that you can choose from. Boy, you should smell this garlic. It's almost like you could spray it on and use it for cooking.
SHORTER: It is pretty powerful.
KELLEY: Yes, Dexter Shorter, thanks very much.
SHORTER: You're quite welcome.
KELLEY: Appreciate you bringing in all of this and we'll get this stuff, you know, squared away.
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