Bug Buffer

The appearance of the West Nile Virus (WNV) in Colorado last year impacted humans, horses, birds (especially Corvids), and even exotic zoo animals. For wild and captive raptors, the virus was particularly vicious and hit close to home. We lost three raptors to this scourge, including our 55-year-old male golden eagle, Wakan. Many of our other birds were hit by the virus, but survived with complications like blindness in one eye. The most painful part was watching our healthy, vigorous golden eagle succumb in just 60 hours. There was no warning; just a crippling series of convulsions, worsening paralysis, then death. He died in our arms. The ongoing challenge is to repel mosquitoes from our 30 raptors; eagles, falcons, hawks and owls, living in 3,000 square feet of cages and barns. Our first attempt at mosquito control was to install a much-advertised mosquito trap, but quickly learned that it trapped every bug, including those eating mosquitoes. Traps are also quite intolerant of the prairie’s constantly shifting wind conditions, which limit their range and effectiveness. We have also learned that in order for mosquito traps to work they actually bring more mosquitoes into the area. The carbon dioxide they generate combined with the chemical attractants they use increases the mosquito population in route to the trap.	You can order your own BugBuffer by clicking on the links that follow... . Proceeds from sales help REF continue to protect its precious raptors... Just click on Order Your BugBuffer
Extensive research led us to Dr. J. Butler at the University of Florida, whose research, initiated by the cosmetic’s industry, led to the discovery of a botanical oil that is a safe alternative to DEET. Dr. Butler found that Geraniol demonstrated broad based insect repellency including mosquitoes, biting flies, fleas, ticks, and no-see-ums. The University of Florida has licensed the use of their Geraniol patents to FASST Products LLC, Rockville Centre, New York. FAAST Products became very interested in our battle against WNV, and has provided several effective products that create a protective barrier around our birds. Two of our Directors tested their spray product for topical use while visiting the mosquito-infested Ibera Wetlands of Argentina in 2003, with excellent results. Our early tests (2003) of Geraniol as an airborne repellant quickly revealed another bonus: the fly population decreased markedly when the vapor was being dispersed throughout our facility. However, as of this writing, this effect may be reduced as the temperatures increase into the 90-degree range and higher during the course of the day. This temperature increase may act to accelerate the vapor dispersing much faster.
The easiest way to protect our raptor collection is to keep the mosquitoes away. Enveloping the entire facility in mosquito proof netting, suggested by many, is not feasible, because the tight netting drastically decreases the air exchange in the facility, which is deadly in the summer heat. One good hailstorm, and we have had several in the past weeks; will also tear the netting to shreds. And as we learn in our homes, the netting does not always keep the bugs out, and it only takes one hungry female mosquito to wreak havoc on our raptor collection.	Order Your BugBuffer

A simple solution for all falconers with one or two tethered birds is to direct a strong enough air stream (3 MPH) via a fan or two. This would apply to other birds kept in captivity as well. Mosquitoes do not like breezes, and the fans work quite well and are a quick, and cost-effective technology. We used this for several birds kept in our barn, including one goshawk, and two Harris’ hawks. As soon as birds are turned loose into large enclosures, however, the fans are useless. FASST Products makes a unit that utilizes a small battery-powered fan to disperse Geraniol vapor. This unit is ideal for home use but we quickly found that protecting our raptors was a more daunting task. At one point we had 30 units placed strategically around our mews. However, changing batteries and the Geraniol cartridges became a management issue, and we had to look at scaling up the technology of the small units to a much larger capacity, which would be simpler to manage. The Bug Buffer™ is what resulted from our researching off-the-shelf solutions, which we modified to fit our needs. Thanks to Mike Friend of FASST Products, for naming our creation, which accurately describes the effect of deploying the Geraniol vapor in the air around our birds. By installing vinyl downspout pipes (2” x 3”x 10’) around our entire facility, in zone configurations, the wind may blow in any direction, which it often does in the course of just a few minutes, and the Geraniol vapor will always be distributed throughout the entire 3000 square feet repelling mosquitoes and flies. We are using Stanley blowers (part # 655702) to quietly disperse the Geraniol vapor from pellets impregnated with the active ingredient. At the high speed setting, these units deliver over 2,181 CFM. The pellets are suspended in wire baskets in front of the blower’s intake area. The pellets can be replenished easily and each blower unit forces the Geraniol-saturated air flow down three different pipes, comprising three zones of protection from one single blower unit. The blowers are very cost-effective. The vinyl downspouts, elbows, couplings, and vinyl glue comprise the other material expenses, but even for our 3,000 square foot facility, the costs are nominal. Installation time is the other cost involved, and because we were inventing solutions as we analyzed the various requirements and challenges, the initial project took much longer than subsequent ones should. Our facility will have six blower units when we are finished. One unit fills our barn with Geraniol vapor, while the other five create 15 zones of protection in the 2,500 sq ft outdoor area. We are probably delivering in excess of what FASST suggests, but because of the high rate of air exchange in the outdoor areas, we would rather be safe than sorry.	Order Your BugBuffer
	Dr. Butler’s discovery provides a non-toxic solution to discouraging mosquitoes from biting humans and other creatures. Spraying any type of repellant on bird feathers was never an option due to the feather damage (loss of waterproofing) and danger of product ingestion. DEET has negative effects on the nervous systems of raptors and other birds. The optimum solution was to put an effective repellant into the air around our birds. FASST Products has a variety of ways to distribute the Geraniol vapor around the target to be protected, including small battery-powered blower units that are sufficient for smaller areas you may need to safeguard. Keeping mosquitoes away not only reduces or eliminates mosquitoes that can carry West Nile Virus, but also mosquitoes carrying the avian malaria parasite. For those of us working around the birds, we are using a 4 oz. pump spray pump unit that delivers a micro-emulsified spray of Geraniol, which is used like any typical insect repellant. This provides protection as we walk in and out of the area protected by our Bug Buffer. I’m also using Geraniol during any outdoor activity when mosquitoes might be present, as my experiences with DEET based products have resulted in adverse health reactions. Order Your BugBuffer
	Comprehensive plans for the Bug Buffer along with the necessary Geraniol pellets are available from our offices. Visit www.BugBuffer.com, where you will find a variety of Geraniol products to protect you, your birds and your pets from potentially dangerous insect borne disease. You may aso link the the Bug Buffer from various pages on our web site. Your purchase of these products also helps support our environmental literacy programs and helps us create solutions for protecting wild creatures and humans against diseases like the West Nile Virus. For more information call our offices: 303-680-8500, and we can help you solve your specific challenge. Or just ContactUs Order Your BugBuffer
	Looking down into the protective container, while also seeing the placement of the vinyl couplers, which permit you to attach elbows or straight pieces of the vinyl downspouts directing the Geraniol vapor considerable distances. In the photo below, the piping actually curves around the outside of the eagle enclosure for a distance of about 50'. Drill holes after you pressurize the pipe, which will allow you to make sure you do not drop the pressure too much by the time you get to the end of the pipe. Of course, the end has been blocked to allow for pressurization. Test the pressure as you go.
	The Rubbermaid unit is fitted with an aluminum ventilation cap, which allows the blower unit to suck a sufficient amount of air (follow the arrows) into the closed container without bringing in rainwater, over the Geraniol pellets, and then blowing the vapor into the attached downspouts. The middle spout in this installation is actually blowing directly into the enclosure below where one of the our eagles regularly perches. The two other downspouts surround the rest of the enclosure, just as with the bald eagle enclosure in the top photo. Note the following photo.