Georgetown County has ‘great success’ using essential oils to combat mosquitos

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - Georgetown County is the first county in South Carolina to utilize an all-natural mosquito repellent and the results speak for themselves, said Mosquito Control Technician Zack Parsons.

“It has had good results this season. We’ve been using it strictly and so far, our counts have gone down dramatically,” said Parsons.

Georgetown County’s Mosquito Control Department sits just behind the Georgetown County Airport.

The new solution is called “Mosquito Magician” and is composed of essential oils.

“It’s a blend of essential oils. Six or seven I believe. We pair that with a binding agent that helps it stick to the grass and other things in the environment,” said Parsons.

The natural solution also has multiple roles.

“It doubles as a repellant and actually, over time, kills the actual mosquitos,” said Parsons.

It’s much different than the previous spray, an EPA-classified pesticide that can be harmful to pollinators, so the change is a good thing for helpful insects such as butterflies, bees, and even dragonflies.

“This one seems to only attack certain types of insects, mosquitos, gnats, and in certain applications, it can be used for fire ants,” said Parsons.

This solution also lasts longer, according to Parsons.

“It stays in the environment. The other one only has an effect if it touches them and it stays good for an hour if even that,” said Parsons. “This one actually stays and actually repels them from the areas we spray. We’re having great success with this new product.”

According to Parsons, Florida had great success with the product, which is where Georgetown County got the idea to use it. Now, other counties across South Carolina are interested in using the new, all-natural solution.

We reached out to Horry County to see if they are considering switching to Mosquito Magician, but they said, as of now, they have no plans to do so.

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