Bee Safe Releases 600,000 Wolbachia Mosquitoes in D.C. Area as $1,000 Service Sells Out
Updated
Updated · WTOP · Jun 29
Bee Safe Releases 600,000 Wolbachia Mosquitoes in D.C. Area as $1,000 Service Sells Out
1 articles · Updated · WTOP · Jun 29
Summary
600,000 Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes are being released across the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region this summer, marking the first such program in the area by Silver Spring-based Bee Safe Mosquito Control.
Male "ZAP" mosquitoes do not bite; when they mate with female Asian Tiger mosquitoes, the females become infertile and lay eggs that never hatch, aiming to cut a species linked to Dengue, Zika and Yellow Fever.
Bee Safe began releases in early June and plans to continue through September, using mosquitoes supplied by Kentucky-based MosquitoMate, whose Wolbachia insects have EPA approval as a biopesticide.
The company said the roughly $1,000 service has already sold out for the season and hopes to expand next year as the technology gains traction in the U.S.
Wolbachia mosquito programs remain relatively new domestically, but Bee Safe cited reductions of more than 98% in Dengue cases in parts of South America, while Alphabet plans releases of up to 32 million in California and Florida.