Biocontrols

Keyplex – The Leader in Biopesticide Solutions

Keyplex has a long history of developing innovative and effective biological products, and the company’s commitment to these “green” chemistries took hold years ago when it recognized the growing global need for effective insecticides, fungicides and other pest control products that did their job with little to no environmental impact. Through extensive research and product testing, the company identified a synergistic blend of plant oils that would control target pests while also managing or preventing resistance within the pests. (This issue of resistance management is especially relevant in the face of the Zika virus outbreak given how the aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the disease has demonstrated resistance to many traditional insecticides.) Today, Keyplex offers a wide range of botanical oil-based products that have been proven effective against a broad spectrum of public health pests, such as ticks and mosquitos, and products like these are a big reason for the widespread adoption of botanical products.

In addition to offering quick knockdown or control of the pest, these products offer extended protection by decimating the insect population and breaking the lifecycle.

Keyplex expanded its product portfolio as well as its development resources with the acquisition of EcoSMART in 2014. EcoSMART was founded in the early 1990s to develop safe pesticide alternatives for agricultural, commercial and residential use, and the company’s expertise was evident as it developed these effective products. In particular, the company pioneered work on octopamine in addition to other innovative research on botanical chemistries.

Today, the company’s product development efforts are led by a scientific advisory panel that is chaired by Steven Bessette, a vice president at Keyplex.

About the Zika Virus

The Zika virus is a dangerous disease that the World Health Organization has termed a “public health emergency of international concern.” The disease is transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, and the issue of controlling these mosquitoes and limiting the spread of the disease became especially important in the spring of 2015 when the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert upon confirming the first case of the Zika virus in Brazil. The disease, which has infected individuals throughout the South America, Central America and the Caribbean, typically causes a mild fever, a skin rash and / or conjunctivitis for anywhere from 2 to 7 days. But the disease can lead to much more significant effects in babies born to mothers who contracted the disease while pregnant. These problems can include microcephaly, which often results in underdeveloped brains.

The aedes aegypti mosquito transmits the virus by biting them while it is infected, but the virus can also be transmitted from person to person through sexual contact or by moving from a pregnant mother to her unborn infant.

The aedes aegypti mosquito bites primarily during the day and seems to be most active in the hours immediately after sunrise and immediately before sunset.

More Information About Zika