Pesticide-Free Mosquito Control in the Lehigh Valley: How In2Care and Nature-Cide X2 Work Together

Every summer, the Lehigh Valley faces the same uninvited guest. As temperatures climb and humidity settles in across Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Emmaus, and the surrounding communities, mosquitoes return and they bring more than itchy welts.

West Nile Virus is endemic to our region. It turns up here most years, and Lehigh County has been part of Pennsylvania's mosquito surveillance and control program since 2000, when West Nile was first detected in the state. The Lehigh County Conservation District sets traps at parks, schools, churches, and businesses throughout the county, sending samples to the state DEP lab in Harrisburg for testing. When the virus appears, local control measures follow. Beyond West Nile, the mosquito species found in Pennsylvania can also carry Jamestown Canyon Virus and, in rarer cases, Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

The takeaway isn't panic. Most people bitten by an infected mosquito never get sick — it's prevention. And at County Pest, we believe prevention shouldn't mean blanketing your yard in synthetic chemicals.

The Short Version

• What it is: A pesticide-free mosquito program that pairs In2Care Mosquito Stations with plant-based Nature-Cide X2.

• How it works: In2Care attacks mosquitoes at their breeding sites using biological agents; Nature-Cide X2 (cedarwood + cinnamon oil) handles resting adults and repels for up to a month.

• Why it matters: West Nile Virus is endemic to the Lehigh Valley. This approach breaks the mosquito life cycle while staying safe for bees, pets, and families.

• Who it's for: Homes, pollinator gardens, and farms across Emmaus, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and surrounding Lehigh and Northampton County communities.

• How to start: Call County Pest at 610-965-4399 for a mosquito assessment.

The Problem With "Just Fog It"

When most people picture mosquito control, they picture fogging: a technician walking the property line broadcasting an adulticide into the air. It works fast, and there's a place for it. But conventional fogging has real drawbacks.

It's a short-term fix. Fogging knocks down the adult mosquitoes flying at that moment, but it does nothing about the eggs and larvae waiting in standing water to become the next generation. Within days, the population rebounds.

It doesn't discriminate, either. A broadcast adulticide can hit beneficial insects — the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that keep gardens and the wider ecosystem healthy — right alongside the mosquitoes you're targeting. For beekeepers and pollinator-garden owners especially, that's a serious problem.

There's a smarter way to break the mosquito life cycle, and it doesn't rely on spraying conventional pesticides across your property.

A Two-Part, Pesticide-Free Approach

Our pollinator-friendly mosquito program pairs two complementary tools. One attacks mosquitoes where they breed. The other handles resting adults and the perimeter. Together they interrupt the life cycle at multiple stages while keeping bees, butterflies, pets, and your family out of harm's way.

In2Care: Turning Mosquitoes Against Themselves

The In2Care Mosquito Station is one of the cleverer tools in modern mosquito management — and it's EPA-registered, available only through licensed professionals. It isn't a sprayer, and it isn't really a trap. It's a small, dark, water-filled station designed to look like exactly the kind of stagnant water a female mosquito wants for laying eggs.

Here's how it works. A female mosquito enters the station and lands on a treated gauze floater. There she picks up two biological agents. The first is pyriproxyfen, an insect growth regulator that the EPA classifies as a reduced-risk pesticide and that's effective at extremely low doses. The second is Beauveria bassiana, a naturally occurring fungus that infects only insects — not mammals, birds, or fish.

The genius is in what happens next. Rather than dying inside the station, the contaminated mosquito flies back out. Because females naturally divide their eggs among many sites, she carries the larvicide on her legs and spreads it to every breeding spot she visits afterward — including the tiny, hidden pockets of water you'd never find on your own. She's now killing larvae across your whole property. Within several days, the fungus kills her too, before she can transmit disease.

This auto-dissemination targets the Culex mosquitoes that carry West Nile in our area, as well as the container-breeding Aedes species. The active ingredients stay contained inside an enclosed, hard-to-open station placed in shaded vegetation — which is what makes it safe around pollinators, pets, and children. The system needs professional servicing and refills roughly every four weeks, and it typically takes two to three weeks to see the full population drop, because it's working on the next generation, not just today's adults.

Nature-Cide X2: Plant-Based Knockdown and Repellency

In2Care plays the long game on breeding sites. Nature-Cide Pest Management X2 handles the here-and-now: the adult mosquitoes resting in shaded vegetation, plus a repellent barrier around the areas where you actually spend time.

Nature-Cide X2 is a commercial concentrate made from plant-based essential oils — primarily cedarwood oil and cinnamon oil. It qualifies for exemption from federal pesticide registration under FIFRA Section 25(b), the EPA's category for products made with ingredients considered minimum-risk to people and the environment. We apply it with an electric-powered backpack fogger, targeting the damp, shaded spots where mosquitoes rest during the day.

It does double duty: it kills listed pests — including mosquitoes, ticks, and flies — on contact, and the cinnamon oil keeps repelling afterward, with repellency lasting up to about a month. An independent two-year study published in the Journal of the Florida Mosquito Control Association found Nature-Cide outperformed the synthetic products it was tested against for mosquito control, in both lab and field conditions.

Why the Combination Matters

Neither product alone is the whole answer — and that's the point.

In2Care interrupts the life cycle at the source, eliminating larvae in breeding sites you can't even see and suppressing future generations. Nature-Cide X2 reduces the adult mosquitoes already here and lays down a repellent barrier where your family gathers. One works quietly in the background over weeks; the other delivers the knockdown and protection you feel right away.

Layered together, they reflect true Integrated Pest Management — the same principle Pennsylvania's own mosquito program is built on: reduce the population sustainably instead of chasing it with repeated chemical fogging.

This is the approach we're proud to lead with across the Lehigh Valley. We've moved to electric backpack foggers to cut emissions, we rotate in growth regulators that specifically disrupt mosquito development, and we build every program around the property in front of us — whether that's a backyard in Emmaus, a pollinator garden in Bethlehem, or a farm outside Allentown.

What You Can Do Right Now

Professional treatment works best alongside a few simple habits, because mosquitoes can breed in as little as a tablespoon of water:

• Dump standing water weekly. Empty or cover buckets, planters, toys, tarps, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, gutters, and trash cans. Water sitting more than a few days can produce mosquitoes.

• Refresh the water that has to stay. Change birdbaths and check pool covers regularly.

• Dress for dusk and dawn. Loose long sleeves and pants help when mosquitoes are most active.

• Keep screens intact. Make sure window and door screens are free of holes.

• Treat water you can't drain. Ornamental ponds and low spots can be handled with inexpensive Bti "mosquito dunks."

Mosquito Control Across the Lehigh Valley

County Pest Control provides pesticide-free mosquito control throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley, including Emmaus, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Macungie, Coopersburg, Center Valley, Orefield, and surrounding communities in Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an effective mosquito control option that doesn't use synthetic pesticides?

Yes! County Pest uses a pesticide-free approach that pairs the In2Care Mosquito Station with plant-based Nature-Cide X2. In2Care uses biological agents — an insect growth regulator and an insect-specific fungus — delivered inside an enclosed station, while Nature-Cide X2 is a FIFRA 25(b)-exempt concentrate made from cedarwood and cinnamon oils. Neither relies on broadcast synthetic adulticides, which keeps the program safe for bees, pets, and families when applied as directed.

Is this mosquito control safe for bees and pollinators?

Yes. The In2Care Mosquito Station keeps its active ingredients contained inside an enclosed station placed in shaded vegetation, rather than spraying them across the lawn. The active ingredients are not expected to affect non-target insects such as honeybees and butterflies when used according to the label — which makes the program well suited to pollinator gardens and properties with beehives.

How does the In2Care Mosquito Station actually work?

A female mosquito enters the water-filled station looking to lay eggs and lands on a treated gauze floater, picking up two biological agents: pyriproxyfen (an EPA reduced-risk insect growth regulator) and Beauveria bassiana (an insect-specific fungus). She then flies out and spreads the larvicide to other breeding sites she visits, killing larvae across the property. The fungus kills her within several days, before she can transmit disease. Full population reduction typically takes two to three weeks because it targets the next generation.

What is Nature-Cide X2 and what's in it?

Nature-Cide Pest Management X2 is a commercial mosquito concentrate made primarily from cedarwood oil and cinnamon oil. It qualifies for exemption from federal pesticide registration under FIFRA Section 25(b), the EPA category for minimum-risk ingredients. It kills listed pests such as mosquitoes, ticks, and flies on contact, and the cinnamon oil provides repellency that can last up to about a month.

Does the Lehigh Valley really have West Nile Virus?

Yes. West Nile Virus is endemic to the Lehigh Valley and is detected in the region most years. Lehigh County has participated in Pennsylvania's mosquito surveillance and control program since 2000, when West Nile was first found in the state. Local mosquitoes can also carry Jamestown Canyon Virus and, more rarely, Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

Which areas does County Pest serve for mosquito control?

County Pest Control provides mosquito control across the Greater Lehigh Valley, including Emmaus, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Macungie, Coopersburg, and surrounding communities in Lehigh and Northampton Counties. The company is based at 63 S 7th St, Emmaus, PA 18049, and can be reached at 610-965-4399.

Protect Your Yard the Smart Way

With West Nile a recurring presence in Lehigh and the surrounding counties, mosquito control isn't only about comfort — it's about protecting your family, your pets, and your pollinators. You don't have to choose between an effective yard and an environmentally responsible one.

Don't settle for one-size-fits-all fogging. Choose a program built for the Lehigh Valley's conditions and backed by more than 30 years of science-driven expertise.

Call County Pest at 610-965-4399 or visit www.countypest.net to schedule your mosquito assessment and treatment plan today.

County Pest — family-owned and serving the Lehigh Valley since 1994.

63 S 7th St, Emmaus, PA 18049 · 610-965-4399 · info@countypestcontrol.net