Frequently Asked Questions and Biting Insect Trivia

Conceal Candle FAQ

1. Are all candles alike?
2. How do I get the most protection from Conceal Candles?
3. Where should I put them?

Mosquito 'Cognito® FAQ

1. How does the Mosquito 'Cognito work?
2. What's the difference between a repellent and an inhibitor?
3. Where does the Mosquito 'Cognito Inhibitor work best?
4. What's wrong with sprays and foggers?
5. How effective are Citronella candles and smoking coils?
6. Does the Mosquito 'Cognito inhibitor work everywhere?
7. Why is the inhibitor in the Mosquito 'Cognito registered with the U.S. EPA?
8. How do I get the most protection from biting insects?

Dragonfly® FAQ

1. How does the Dragonfly System work?
2. What makes the Dragonfly System unique?
3. How do I get the most protection from biting insects?
4. Can a line of CO2 and Octenol traps form a barrier that stops mosquitoes?
5. What are the alternatives to traps?
6. Should I run the Dragonfly 24/7?
7. Are the attractants in Dragonfly safe?
8. Is it safe to use the Octenol lure around children?
9. Is CO2 bad for the environment?
10. Do I need to worry about which way the wind blows?

Click here for Dragonfly Technical Support / Troubleshooting FAQ's

Mosquito Trivia

1. Are all mosquitoes alike?
2. Why do mosquitoes bite?
3. What diseases do mosquitoes spread?
4. How do they find you?
5. Do they only bite people?
6. What causes mosquitoes to breed at certain locations?

Conceal Candle FAQ

1. Are all candles alike?

No! Have you ever had a candle that burned crooked and melted to one side? Smoked and left the glass holder black? That would not re-light? These telltale characteristics result from cheap materials of which inferior candles are made, and are never seen in premium candles - ever!

Conceal Candles from BioSensory are premium candles made from the finest materials by the finest candle makers. Protect them from drafts as directed and they will burn cleanly from start to finish. The wick will never clog and refuse to light. Your glass candle holders will never again be black with soot.

2. How do I get the most protection from Conceal Candles?

Select the smallest candle that is suitable to your needs, one that will burn long enough to protect you while you are outdoors, but not longer than necessary. Because Conceal inhibitor evaporates slowly but continuously from the candle, you get better protection from a small candle that is burned once than you get from a large candle that is burned many times.

3. Where should I put them?

Place the candles in or around the areas where people congregate. Around the railing of a porch or deck, for example, or with the outdoor furniture on you pool or patio. Light at least one candle for every 5 people present. Light the candles in advance to allow time for a large pool of melted wax to form. Conceal inhibitor is released from the melted wax.

Mosquito 'Cognito FAQ

1. How does the Mosquito 'Cognito work?

Like bloodhounds, biting insects have poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell. The Mosquito 'Cognito takes advantage of their poor eyesight and turns their sense of smell against them. They can smell you from 100 feet away, but they cannot see a person-sized object until they are 30 feet away. The Mosquito 'Cognito releases a scent with Conceal, a special inhibitor. Conceal binds to the insect's olfactory receptors and blocks their ability to smell people and animals. Mosquito 'Cognito reduces mosquito landings on people and animals by 80% when used properly

View a video on how the U.S. Equestrian Team succeeded in protecting its stable of million-dollar horses for the Olympic Team during the New Jersey West Nile Virus scare in the summer of 2000.

2. What's the difference between a repellent and an inhibitor?

A repellent smells bad to a mosquito, so they avoid it. DEET and Citronella are repellents Unfortunately, you have to cover all of your exposed skin with a repellent for full protection - and reapply the repellent often. Some scientists are have concerns about the effects of DEET on the health of humans and animals, especially small children.

An inhibitor is different. It shuts down the mosquito's sense of smell. A mosquito with a nose-full of Conceal will not go elsewhere to find another victim because it doesn't know where to go. If they cannot track your scent, they cannot get close enough to see you. If they cannot see you, they cannot bite you.

Watch a video of an oflactometer test with Conceal.

3. Where does the Mosquito 'Cognito Inhibitor work best?

Mosquito 'Cognito works best on your deck, pool or patio near your home. First, the yard usually separates the house from the prime mosquito habitat such as woods or standing water. In addition, the house acts as a barrier so mosquitoes can't come at you from every direction. Finally, by placing Mosquito 'Cognito on the edge of the deck or patio, its Conceal inhibitor mixes with and helps mask the scent of people no matter which way the wind is blowing. More than one Mosquito 'Cognito device is needed for large groups of people. As a rule of thumb, start with one for every five adults.

When boating or camping, the Mosquito 'Cognito works best inside your boat, tent or RV to keep mosquitoes out. At the University of Florida Vero Beach field laboratory, the Mosquito 'Cognito inhibitor reduced mosquito landings on male and female subjects from 12 per hour (one every 5 minutes) to 3 per hour (one every 20 minutes).

4. What's wrong with sprays and foggers?

The backyard mosquito control method Americans use most is sprays and foggers - arguably the most expensive, ineffective and environmentally harmful thing to do. Sprays are expensive. They are effective for only 2 to 4 hours, then the mosquitoes are back. Sprays are indiscriminate. They kill every insect: ladybug, butterfly, praying mantis, earthworm - everything. Worst of all, the mosquitoes that survive come back stronger than ever. In as little as 6 generations (two months under ideal conditions) mosquitoes can build up immunity to a pesticide.

If you rely on pesticide sprays and foggers, you will need more and more of them to do the job, and you will have to use them more and more often. The best way to make pesticides effective is to minimize their use. Make them your last choice, not your first choice.

5. How effective are Citronella candles and smoking coils?

Citronella candles and smoking coils repel mosquitoes, but you must stay in the smoky plume to be protected. The smoking Citronella coils contain pesticides. Dr. Robert Novak of the University of Illinois tested these products and reported that when smoke from a coil covered a human test subject's shin, the mosquitoes flew around the subject's leg and bit them on the calf.

6. Does the Mosquito 'Cognito inhibitor work everywhere?

No. Use a repellent such as DEET when you are moving within visual or thermal range (about 30 feet) of mosquito habitat such as woods, swamps, marshes or the shoreline.

7. Why is the inhibitor in the Mosquito 'Cognito registered with the U.S. EPA?

The active ingredient in the Mosquito 'Cognito inhibitor, Conceal , is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved food additive. However, U.S. regulations define a pesticide as "any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, repelling, or mitigating any pest." Conceal is therefore registered as a pesticide with the EPA.

The Conceal inhibitor molecule is found in the essential oils of plants. It is widely used as a food flavoring.

8. How do I get the most protection from biting insects?

It is important to position BioSensory products properly. Place the Mosquito 'Cognito inhibitor well within 30 feet of the people you want to protect.

Dragonfly FAQ

1. How does the Dragonfly System work?

Placing the Dragonfly System between you and a mosquito habitat gives mosquitoes a lure that smells better to them than people do. The Dragonfly lure's scent (CO₂ and Octenol) is carried on the wind and attracts mosquitoes up to 100 feet away. As they draw near, these insects use extremely sensitive thermal sensors on the tips of their antennae. From 10 feet away they can feel the warmth of the Dragonfly thermal lure. The thermal lure produces the infrared image of their favorite landing spot - blood near the surface of the skin. Biting insects are destroyed by a patented, non-contact electrostatic panel.

No matter what the temperature, the Dragonfly keeps the CO₂, Octenol and thermal lure at optimum levels. Dragonfly lures will attract and kill biting insects, but are harmless to non-target insects. Remember that the visual range of mosquitoes is about 30 feet (10 m). It is important to keep the Dragonfly at least 30 feet away from your deck, pool, porch or patio so that mosquitoes drawn to it cannot see you as you move about.

Watch a video of the quiet, effective and dependable Dragonfly System in action. This video demonstrates a unit destroying 3,000 to 4,000 biting insects per hour.

2. What makes the Dragonfly System unique?

BioSensory entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA) with the United States Department of Agriculture to develop Dragonfly technology. BioSensory holds dozens of national and international patents and patent applications on the Dragonfly® and Mosquito 'Cognito® devices, with more on the way. BioSensory patents cover the use of bottled CO₂, Octenol, a thermal lure, and electrostatic panels to attract and kill biting insects. Other patents cover the attractant molecules, the inhibitor molecules, and the methods of dispensing them. The Dragonfly is the only system with microprocessor control.

3. How do I get the most protection from biting insects?

It is important to position BioSensory products properly. Place the Dragonfly lure between you and the primary mosquito habitat -- more than 30 feet from the deck, pool, patio or area you want to protect. Keep the Mosquito 'Cognito inhibitor in the area near the people you want to protect. Biting insects within 30 feet can see you and are attracted by movement. Once they see you and detect your body heat, the Dragonfly lure may not  draw them away and the Conceal inhibitor may not stop them.

4. Can a line of CO₂ and Octenol traps form a barrier that stops mosquitoes?

Yes. Even when the location is surrounded by a mangrove swamp breeding site. See the Dragonfly Professional for more information.

View a video aired on the PBS series American Environmental Review about an environmentally safe barrier system used around a condominium complex in Florida.

5. What are the alternatives to traps?

Pesticide Spraying: Using pesticide spraying will give you relief from mosquitoes - for two to four hours. But every good insect that comes in contact with the chemicals will die, including butterflies, ladybugs and praying mantises.

Zappers: Contrary to popular belief, the ultraviolet light from a conventional zapper attracts mosquitoes to the general vicinity, but not into the zapper itself. Mosquitoes see better under UV light and use it to locate prime breeding areas. Without CO₂ and a thermal lure, however, zappers are almost useless against mosquitoes. Further, zappers can kill thousands of beneficial insects each night.

6. Should I run the Dragonfly 24/7?

No. Mosquitoes aren't active 24 hours a day. In fact, no biting insect is. That's why BioSensory designed the Dragonfly System with three selectable levels of CO₂ and automatic photocell activation at dusk. The new Dragonfly Professional is even more sophisticated. It can sense mosquito activity, turn itself on and off as needed, and optimize the level of CO₂ to what is needed for the level of mosquito activity.

7. Are the attractants in Dragonfly safe?

Yes, when used as directed. U.S. government regulations define pesticides as "any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, repelling, or mitigating any pest," so Dragonfly lure attractants are also registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The active ingredient in the Dragonfly lure is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved food additive. Octenol (1-octen-3-ol), the attractant in the Dragonfly® lure, is an alcohol. It is produced in the digestive tract of livestock and by fungi such as edible mushrooms. Small amounts are used as a flavoring in foods and as a fragrance in makeup and colognes. Like all alcohols, it can be toxic if ingested at full strength in very large doses. In accordance with EPA regulations, the CO₂ used by BioSensory is so pure it is designated as food grade quality.

8. Is it safe to use the Octenol lure around children?

Yes, when used as directed. The Dragonfly Octenol lure contains 3.7 grams of Octenol, enough to endanger a small child if ingested full strength. To meet EPA child-safety standards, the Dragonfly® Octenol Lure has an ultrasonically welded plastic housing which passes crush-bite tests. It was subjected to saliva tests to demonstrate that its unsupervised use does not pose an unacceptable risk to a small child. The Octenol is dissolved in a patented wax-like substance and placed in a crush resistant plastic housing that is designed to be too large for anyone to swallow. When placed against the Dragonfly lure's thermal lure, heat from one side makes the wax-like substance release Octenol from the other. If a child puts the Octenol lure in his or her mouth, however, the the wax-like substance prevents the large, rapid release of Octenol.

9. Is CO₂ bad for the environment?

Although CO₂ is one of the greenhouse gases believed to contribute to global warming, it is also essential for life on earth. Plants need CO₂ to grow. Plants "breathe in" CO₂ in the atmosphere. Through photosynthesis plants convert CO₂ back into the oxygen we breathe.

The Dragonfly System uses CO₂ that is 99.8% pure, and is the only product to use CO₂ that is registered with the EPA for this application. The remaining "contaminant" is 0.2% water. The CO₂ used in the Dragonfly was recovered from atmospheric CO₂, so it does not increase the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere.

10. Do I need to worry about which way the wind blows?

No. Every mosquito that has ever bitten you tracked your scent by flying upwind -- no matter which way the wind is blowing. The Dragonfly System will lure mosquitoes to it and the Mosquito 'Cognito® with Conceal® inhibitor will hide you from them...no matter which way the wind is blowing.

Mosquito Trivia

1. Are all mosquitoes alike?

Mosquitoes have been around for 100 million years. In that time, they have diversified into 3,000 species that are very different from one another. Instincts program their life's behavior and are constantly refined by evolution. They have successfully adapted to climates from the arctic to the equator and developed means of locating indigenous blood hosts in each locale: some mosquitoes prefer frogs, others mammals, others birds. No product, including the Dragonfly System, Mosquito 'Cognito devices or Conceal candles, pesticides or repellents, can work equally well on every species of mosquito.

2. Why do mosquitoes bite?

Female mosquitoes need protein for the development of their eggs, and they get it from the blood of animal and human hosts. Male mosquitoes do not bite, nor do mosquitoes actually '"feed" on blood. The nectar of flowers actually provides sugar to power mosquitoes' flight muscles.

3. What diseases do mosquitoes spread?

Mosquitoes spread malaria, encephalitis, and dengue fever in people. They can also transmit parasites such as heartworm to pets. (Source: The American Mosquito Control Association.)

4. How do they find you?

Mosquitoes locate blood hosts by scent, sight and heat. From 100 feet (30 meters) mosquitoes can smell your scent, especially the carbon dioxide (CO2) you exhale. They follow your scent upwind and can see you at a distance of about 30 feet (10 meters). When mosquitoes get within 10 feet, they can sense your body-heat. They then look for places to bite where blood is close to the skin's surface.

Mosquitoes don't see very well, but are attracted to a thermal image and zero in like a heat-seeking missile. Even at 30 feet, they have trouble distinguishing you from any object of similar size and shape, like a tree stump, 55-gallon drum, etc. At 10 feet they use extremely sensitive thermal receptors on the tip of their antennae to locate blood near the surface of the skin. The range of these receptors increases threefold when the humidity is high.

5. Do they only bite people?

People and animals are not the primary target for mosquitoes, especially in temperate climates. The major mosquito pests in the southeastern U.S., for example, seem to prefer the host-odor of small herbivorous (vegetarian) mammals, or birds. Even mosquitoes that carry encephalitis seem to prefer avian (bird) hosts. These mosquitoes bite people when they get the chance, but they are better at tracking the scent of animals that are most abundant in their habitat.

6. What causes mosquitoes to breed at certain locations?

Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so eliminating standing water on your property reduces your risk. Areas like rain gutters, tree holes, old buckets or tires with stagnant water are breeding sites. Although you may take steps to clear your property, you are subject to the actions - or inaction - of your neighbors, not to mention wetland areas in your community.

¹ "EVALUATION OF THE EFFICACY OF 3% CITRONELLA CANDLES AND 5% CITRONELLA INCENSE FOR PROTECTION AGAINST FIELD POPULATIONS OF AEDES MOSQUITOES,"  L. ROBBIN LINDSAY, GORDON A SURGEONER, JAMES D. HEAL and G. JAMES GALLIVAN.
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph. Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. Copyright © 1996 by the American Mosquito Control Association, Inc.