A Waterloo company has developed a product that captures mosquitoes and destroys their eggs.
“Our goal right now is to reduce the population of disease carrying mosquitoes,” says Maxtech Mosquito Control CEO Kacee Vasudeva.
That includes the Zika virus.
The company hopes their GreenStrike Mosquito Preventer will have a big impact in areas battling the spread of the virus.
Maxtech says their product attracts female mosquitoes using a specialized solution, creating an artificial breeding zone. The mosquito eggs go through a filter that dries them out and kills them before they hatch.
“After 21 days the reduction in the mosquito population is drastic,” says project manager Mark Smith.
Maxtech wanted to send their kits to Brazil before the Rio Olympics but weren’t able to because of regulation differences between the two countries.
So the company decided to donate several hundred kits to Florida.
More than 40 cases of the Zika virus have already been reported in the state.
The virus is especially risky for pregnant mothers. Their babies could be born with microcephaly, a defect that leads to an underdeveloped brain and smaller head.
“We strongly believe that one child born with microcephaly is too much,” says Vasudeva. “They can distribute [our product] to schools. They cab distribute to playgrounds, and they can distribute to people who can’t afford one for their backyard.”
Maxtech says they’re working to get their product cleared for use in other countries affected by the Zika virus.
