Mosquito Magnet, A Tale of Secondary Attractants
At first blush, this product already sounds like the worst. Who, besides Dr. Hammond, wants more mosquitoes? However, what the name doesn’t reveal is the product’s benefits in the war against the enemy. According to its website, the Mosquito Magnet battles against these relentless and dangerous pests and functions as a trap that uses carbon dioxide, heat, and moisture and a secondary attractant to lure the bugs to their death. Secondary attractant? That’s vague, right? The website lists three different attractants, Lurex3, R-Octenol, and Octenol, which according to the product details, are all EPA-registered.
However, while the Mosquito Magnet may thwart the backyard pests, its fumes are not for human consumption, learn the full explained video right here. Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed against Woodstream Corp. and Accessories Marketing, who are both allegedly involved in the manufacture of the Mosquito Magnet. According to the lawsuit, in 2012, 46-year-old Mary Jo McCool was found dead in her pool minutes after installing a Mosquito Magnet. The lawsuit alleges that McCool’s death was caused by the fumes of the Mosquito Magnet and further alleges that a police officer who was subsequently investigating the death became light headed and dizzy while kneeling next to the trap. He then began to gasp for air before making it to the interior of the home. According to Theodore Leopold, the Plaintiff’s attorney, McCool was subjected to the fumes, which caused her to fall into the pool and drown.
A quick Internet search did not find any other lawsuits against the company for the product or any CPSC recalls, other than a 2006 leaky hose recall, related to the product. While I have no experience with the Mosquito Magnet, I do celebrate anything that aids in our fight against them. Further, it would seem that such a claim may be difficult to prove as no one actually witnessed McCool immediately before falling into the pool. However, as summer approaches, we remind readers to steer clear of inhaling anything named Lurex3.
