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Tag: mosquitos

Avoid being a mosquito’s meal

Avoid being a mosquito’s meal

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Community News, Health.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Although Labor Day weekend marked the unofficial end of summer, the rainy season lasts well into October, bringing with it the opportunity to be a snack for the Island’s largest population – mosquitos.

“I have no idea what you guys complain about down here, we have a lot more bugs and angrier mosquitos up north than I’ve seen since we’ve been down here,” said Deanna Norton, from the Finger Lakes area of New York. “I don’t know if the lizards eat them here or what, but they will destroy you back home. I’d call them a minor annoyance down here.”

While it may be true that mosquitos can be more of a nuisance in other parts of the country, the Island is certainly home to plenty of them, and some people seem to be targeted more than others.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists the mosquito as the deadliest animal in the world due to the diseases they can carry. While diseases such as malaria are rare in the U.S., West Nile virus, dengue and Zika are very real threats and should be taken seriously.

The Department of Health Manatee (DOH) says they encourage everyone to remain diligent in personal mosquito protection by remembering to “drain and cover.”

Drain

  • Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots or any other containers where sprinkler or rainwater has collected.
  • Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances and other items that aren’t being used.
  • Empty and clean birdbaths and pet water bowls at least once or twice a week.
  • Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water.
  • Maintain swimming pools in good condition and appropriately chlorinated. Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use.

Cover

  • Clothing – Wear shoes, socks and long pants and long sleeves. This type of protection may be necessary for people who must work in areas where mosquitoes are present.
  • Repellent – Apply mosquito repellent to bare skin and clothing.
    • Always read label directions carefully for the approved usage before you apply a repellent. Some repellents are not suitable for children.
    • Products with concentrations of up to 30% DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are generally recommended. Other U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved repellents contain picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or IR3535. These products are generally available at local pharmacies. Look for active ingredients listed on the product label.
    • Apply insect repellent to exposed skin or onto clothing, but not under clothing.
    • In protecting children, read label instructions to be sure the repellent is age-appropriate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mosquito repellents containing oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under the age of 3 years. DEET is not recommended on children younger than 2 months old.
    • Avoid applying repellents to the hands of children. Adults should apply repellent first to their own hands and then transfer it to the child’s skin and clothing.
    • If additional protection is necessary, apply a permethrin repellent directly to your clothing. Again, always follow the manufacturer’s directions.
  • Repair broken screening on windows, doors, porches and patios.
Emma Beans

NYC couple banking on bugs to be big business

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Retail.

COQUINA BEACH – Anna Maria Island is home to countless species of palm trees, tropical plants, rare birds, marine life, and white sand beaches, but if you’ve spent even a few hours on the Island, you know it’s also home to plenty of insects that love to bite and sting.

No-see-ums, mosquitos, biting flies, ticks, hornets and fire ants are a part of life here, but thanks to a New York couple with a formula and a dream, dealing with them may have gotten a bit less painful.

The company is Emma Beans Natural Solutions, and how it came to be is a study in perseverance and innovation. 

“I was a VP for a pharmaceutical company in New York City and my wife worked for a medical office,” said Dean Miller, who along with his wife, Jeanette, founded Emma Beans.

“My wife’s family is from Puerto Rico, and her great aunt passed away,” Miller said. “While in Puerto Rico helping clean out her Aunt’s house, she came across a notebook full of recipes.”

Dean said that upon returning to the U.S. and looking more closely, Jeanette discovered a recipe for mosquito repellant and one for pain relief in her great aunt’s notebook. 

The great aunt had lived in the town of Cuamo, Puerto Rico, which is in a rural mountainous region where people tend to take care of their needs by creating a self-sustainable existence living off the land.

“My wife said her aunt would walk out the backdoor of her small wooden house, always barefoot, and take a machete and just chop herbs. She would bring them in the house and grind them into an oil she would use on my wife when she got bit by mosquitos,” Dean said, recounting the memories that made his wife want to do something with these formulas after finding the recipes.

Being an executive in the pharmaceutical industry, Miller had the means and business connections with people who could take his wife’s idea and set the wheels in motion to bring the product to market. After working on the formulas, the Millers began testing their insect repellant on Long Island and in northern New Jersey, both of which have more than enough bugs for a proper evaluation of effectiveness. 

While creating what would be the formula for Emma Beans “Pesky Bug Stay Away Spray and Hydrating Lotion,” it was important for the Millers to keep it all-natural and good for the skin. The couple also wanted a product that worked on multiple species and smelled good.

While many companies go to great lengths to protect their “secret sauce,” the Millers are more than willing to share what makes their natural, Deet-free product safe and effective.

“It contains the most clinically proven, all-natural insect repelling ingredients on the market; well over a dozen ingredients. Things like citronella, lemongrass, cedarwood, patchouli, linseed and even catnip make up the ingredients. The list goes on and on of these proven natural repellants,” Dean Miller said.

After perfecting the formula, Dean began hitting the pavement in New York and New Jersey, just walking into bait and tackle shops, corner stores, and anywhere he could get to put the product on their shelves, while still working his VP job in Manhattan. The results were impressive, selling out and getting re-orders from just about every store.

By late 2019, the Millers were ready to take Emma Beans to the big box stores.

Then came COVID-19, which changed everything.

“When March came, my company, which was in New York City, was under a mother company in Thailand,” Dean said, referring to the pharmaceutical firm where he was a V.P. 

“I got a call from the owner of the company and he said that all the outside offices were going back to Thailand,” he added. “My choices were, go to Thailand or be without a job.”

The couple ultimately decided to come to Florida instead. Within three weeks of launching the new business, Emma Beans was in more than 100 stores, and virtually all of them were reordering product. The Millers were not necessarily shocked at the response, but considering the state of the world during the pandemic, they were optimistic about the future of Emma Beans. 

At Jeanette’s urging, the couple began selling Emma Beans at the Coquina Beach Market. It was a good decision, Dean said, because they sold 50 bottles

their first day and continue to see great numbers every week. The product is available in shops all over the Island, as well as on Amazon, and through their website, www.peskybugaway.com. You can also stop by their tent at the Coquina Beach Market every Wednesday and Friday, where they are happy to let you try some of their 25 different types of health and beauty products.