Business Opportunities Weblog

August 11, 2008 by Nicholas | 5 Comments

MetroWestDailyNews:

Jason Salim was searching for an earth-friendly way to make money last year when he discovered the power of garlic. Now the 24-year-old Norton entrepreneur is using the legendary vampire repellant to ward off another kind of bloodsucker. His heady concoction of garlic extract and soybean oil can rid a field of pesky mosquitoes for weeks.

Using garlic to kill mosquitoes is hardly a novel concept.

The pungent bulb contains chemicals long known to destroy the soft-bodied insects and may overwhelm their sense of smell. Organic gardeners often treat their properties and small ponds with garlic extract, along with other natural bug deterrents. But few entrepreneurs have tapped into the sales potential of the odiferous plant as an alternative to harmful chemicals.

They now have more than 30 clients.

“I tell them, ‘Your yard will smell of garlic for about 10 minutes,’” he says.

At least one satisfied Norton homeowner said, “it didn’t smell at all.”

“I do a lot of organic gardening. When he said it was safe, I was glad to hear it,” said Robin Clapp, who called Mosquito Foggers to spray part of her five-acre, mosquito-riddled property in late June.

Five weeks later, her family is bite free. Salim is confident his garlic business will succeed as more people seek the benefits of a pesticide without the drawbacks of a poison. He also owns a flooring installation company and has another product in development. He won’t reveal what it is but he says he never thinks, “Why didn’t someone else do it?”

Image via MyLifeTime.com

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Tags: Eco-friendly