SC Johnson—a leading developer and manufacturer of pest control products, consumer packaged goods, and other professional products—has an outsized impact in reducing the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. The company’s leading pest control brands, OFF!® wanted to develop a new publicly available, predictive model of when and where mosquito populations are emerging nationwide.

As the planet warms and weather changes, OFF! noticed month-to-month and year-to-year fluctuations in consumer habits at a regional level, due to changes in mosquito populations. Because of these rapid changes, it’s difficult for people to know when to protect themselves. The OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™, built using SpatiaFi, predicts mosquito outbreaks across the United States, helping communities protect themselves from both the nuisance of mosquitoes and the dangers of mosquito-borne diseases. It has been expanded to include Brazil, Rwanda, and Canada.

The OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast is the result of multiple data sources coming together to provide consumers with an accurate view of mosquito activity. First, SpatiaFi extracts billions of individual weather data points. Then, a scientific algorithm co-developed by the SC Johnson Center for Insect Science and Family Health and SpatiaFi experts translated that weather data into relevant mosquito information. Finally, the collected information is put into the model and distilled into a color-coded, seven-day forecast of mosquito populations. The model is applied to the lifecycle of a mosquito, starting from when it lays eggs to when it could bite a human.

The SC Johnson Center for Insect Science and Family Health is one the world’s leading entomology research centers, studying advanced science of insect biology, insect-borne disease prevention and effective product solutions for consumer use. The science behind brands like OFF! is grounded in knowledge from world-class entomologists who have devoted their careers to SC Johnson’s mission of eradicating diseases like Malaria and Zika.

“We are putting the power in consumers’ hands in providing them with a tool to help predict their exposure and prevent mosquito bites,” said Maude Meier, SC Johnson entomologist. “It’s an exciting time to be working in the field of insect science as we find new opportunities to combine science and technology, like Google Earth Engine, to be a force for good in our mission to prevent the spread of insect-borne diseases.”

‍

In the Media: 

‍

Mosquitos Get the Swat with New Forecasting Technology

SC Johnson Makes Mosquito Forecasts

This New Tool Shows you the Local Mosquito Forecast

‍