What Microbe Lift Mosquito Control Actually Contains
The active ingredient is a bacterium rather than a synthetic insecticide. It is Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis, listed on the label as solids, spores and insecticidal toxins at eight percent by weight. Larvae feeding in the water column ingest the material, and the toxin acts in the gut of the larva. Adults are not the target and neither are eggs, so the treatment interrupts the cycle at the larval stage only. The label rate is 2.5 ml per thousand gallons of standing water, or double that figure for two thousand gallons, applied every other week. Weekly treatment is offered on the label as an option where pressure is heavy. There is also a surface figure of one teaspoon per five hundred and forty square feet of total water column. Activity runs up to fourteen days per application, and the site conditions decide where in that range a given treatment lands. The registration number is 62637-1-74466 and the establishment number is 74466-FL-001. The liquid disperses through the water rather than sitting on the surface as a floating briquette does. It leaves no organic or inorganic residue behind and it does not cloud or discolour the water. The product may be applied to areas that contain aquatic life, fish and plants. One further point in its favour is resistance. Bacterial larvicides carry a far lower potential for resistance in target populations than chemical larvicides such as methoprene.
Where the Label Lets This Bti Larvicide Go
The directions name the sites, and the list is longer than most growers expect. Water gardens, birdbaths, fountains and statuary lead it. Rain barrels, roof gutters, drains and buckets follow. Plant trays, planters, pool covers, old tires, abandoned swimming pools and stock tanks close it out. Plant trays and planters being named matters here, because that is exactly where irrigation runoff sits and breeds. Anything holding water for more than a few days is a candidate. The limits matter just as much. Mosquito larvae are the pest this registration covers, and no other insect is named. Drinking water sources are excluded outright. The signal word on the label is CAUTION. It warns that the material is harmful if inhaled or absorbed through skin, and asks that contact with skin, eyes and clothing be avoided. This size holds roughly 59 ml. At the label rate a four hundred gallon feature takes about 1 ml a fortnight. That is twenty-six doses a year, so the bottle lasts about two years. Store it cool and dry, and do not reuse the empty container.
Key Features
- Active ingredient: Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis at eight percent
- Mode of action: Ingested by feeding larvae, acting in the gut of the larva
- Registration: EPA registered under number 62637-1-74466
- Label rate: Two and a half millilitres per thousand gallons, every other week
- Surface rate: One teaspoon per five hundred and forty square feet of column
- Residual: Up to fourteen days of activity, depending on the site
- Rated coverage: Four hundred gallons, around two years
- Water clarity: No organic or inorganic residue and no change to appearance
- Resistance: Lower resistance potential than chemical larvicides like methoprene
- Labelled sites: Planters and plant trays are named alongside ponds and barrels
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| SKU | 717497 |
| Brand | Microbe-Lift, from Ecological Laboratories |
| Product | BMC, the biological larvicide for standing water |
| Size | 2 fl oz, roughly 59 ml |
| Active ingredient | Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis, 8.00 percent |
| Form | Water dispersible liquid |
| Target pest | Mosquito larvae |
| EPA Reg. No. | 62637-1-74466 |
| EPA Est. No. | 74466-FL-001 |
| Signal word | CAUTION |
| Label rate | 2.5 ml per 1,000 gallons, every other week; weekly optional |
| Surface rate | 1 teaspoon per 540 sq ft of total water column |
| Residual activity | Up to 14 days per application |
| Rated coverage | 400 gallons, up to 2 years of biweekly dosing |
| Labelled sites | Water gardens and features, birdbaths, fountains, old tires, statuary, drains, rain barrels, roof gutters, plant trays, buckets, planters, pool covers, abandoned swimming pools and stock tanks |
| Not for | Drinking water sources |
| Storage | Cool, dry place; empty containers are not to be reused |