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Bugged no more: Entrepreneur markets all-natural insecticide

Jul 29, 2010

by D. Ray Tuttle
The Journal Record

Copyright © 2010

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories on creativity in business, education and the arts in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City will host the World Creativity Forum in November.

BRISTOW – A Bristow man, using common household ingredients, has created an insecticide that people are using to keep their families and pets safe.

Sales have tripled since Bug Right founder Paul Goss began marketing his product in December.

Goss’ product, called Ant Right, is just the first of a line of products he’s pushing to market.

Other products will include Bug Right for bedbugs, Garden Right, Mole and Gopher Right, Mouse Right, Scorpion Right and Flea Right.

Goss started a distribution network in the Oklahoma City area and is close to signing two distributors out of state – one in California and another in Texas.

“It is looking great for both parties,” Goss said.

Goss, who entered the SpiritBank Entrepreneurial Spirit Award competition earlier this year, recently made the cut as one of 12 semifinalists.

Goss was surprised that he made it as a semifinalist in the Spirit Award competition.

“Just to be in the Top 12 is amazing,” Goss said. “I did not expect that and a chance to win first place – and the top prize of $30,000 would go a long way to help build our business,” Goss said.

The inspiration for the invention was Goss’ wife, Freda, who wanted to eliminate garden pests, but did not want to risk harming any of the family or pets with over-the-counter-poisonous products.

“Freda suggested that I use the silicon dioxide that she had heard about,” Goss said. “I researched it and found it to be a safe and a nonpoisonous bug killer, and that it was even used in food products like coffee creamer, gravy mixes, and other products.”

Goss tested his newly created powder on cabbage to see what it would do.

“As I was watching the cabbage with the formula on it and saw two cabbage worms fall off and die, I knew we had something,” Goss said. “I then tried it on tomatoes and other vegetables and they came out bug-free.”

Then Goss tried it on the family dog and discovered it worked well on fleas.

“It worked well on some of the pests in my garden, but there were still those it didn’t affect,” Goss said.

Silicon dioxide is also known as diatomaceous earth and it works by literally tearing insects apart. Under a microscope, sharp, jagged edges and needlelike points of the silicon dioxide become obvious. Most insects have a waxy outer shell covering their bodies. When the insect comes in contact with, or eats the powder, the substance pierces the insect’s protective outer structure, called the exoskeleton. The insect dehydrates and dies within hours.

Unlike other over-the-counter ant or roach killers, the product does not use borax, Goss said.

“Borax is not a food item; our main ingredient is silicon dioxide,” Goss said.

The U.S. Environmental Production Agency said silicon dioxide has “negligible toxicity,” according to the EPA website. “Silicon dioxide and silica gel are naturally occurring and chemically unreactive in the environment. There is no evidence to suggest that the use of these materials as pesticides, in accordance with approved labeling, presents a hazard to nontarget organisms or the environment,” the EPA said.

According to the company’s website, the FDA has labeled diatomaceous earth food grade, and approved it for human and animal consumption.

Goss performed more research and learned that some bugs cannot burp.

“So, I decided to add baking soda to the diatomaceous earth (the baking soda creates pressure and ruptures bugs’ digestive tracts). This eliminated cabbage worms and some other pests. I continued my research and found that some bugs breathe through small air holes, so I added flour to my formulation; this helped to kill even more insects.” The flour expands and suffocates the bugs.

Then Goss added salt to the mix, which dehydrates and kills soft-bodied snails and slugs.

“Finally, I had a formula that was killing a large assortment of insects,” Goss said.

Once Goss adjusted the amounts of each ingredient, in order to keep the product from burning lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes, he was ready to market it.

“Freda told me that I had ‘something that other people need,’” Goss said.

Complete URL: http://journalrecord.com/2010/07/28/bugged-no-more-entrepreneur-markets-general-news/