Skeeter Eater: Poultry fan spurs insect-destruction idea

BY PATTI SELLS | Sulphur Springs News-Telegram Staff

Tired of bugs and mosquitoes, Dale Moore of Sulphur Springs came up with an invention he calls the Martin's Helper, which is designed to catch flying insects. According to Moore, his largest bug catcher can clear up to a 230-acre radius. The new device comes just as cases of the West Nile virus are on the rise in the region. -Staff photo by Ricky Russell

September 18, 2003 -- With cases of West Nile virus on the rise in North America, the Purple Martin, a bird once on the endangered species list, has acquired newfound favor in the United States due to its reputation for eating 2,000 mosquitoes a day.

But what may exceed the bird's reputation as a mosquito assassin is the Martin's Helper, a new device designed not only to trap mosquitoes, but all other bothersome flying insects, as well.

"It really puts on a show," said Sulphur Springs resident Dale Moore, who came up with the idea for the Martin's Helper while working as a landscaper in Northeast Texas.

It was the year 2000 and, unbeknownst to Moore, shortly after the deadly virus was showing up in America. He and his two sons, Kenneth and Chris, had been forced off a job near Lake Tawakoni because the mosquitoes were so bad.

"We didn't know nothing about the West Nile virus back then," Moore said. "We just knew they were driving us nuts, and we couldn't hardly work."

The pests weren't much better at home while were doing maintenance work on a piece of equipment in their shop. Dale was sitting by a poultry fan, trying to survive the Texas heat while letting the fan blow the pesky insects away from him.

"I had just prayed, 'Lord, if you've got room for me up there, I'm ready to come home,'" he said. "It was just that miserable."

That's when the idea came to him.

According to Moore, he got up to reposition a halogen lamp when he suddenly felt compelled to lay the lamp behind the huge fan. He sat back and watched as bugs were drawn to the light, then blown forcefully up against the wall across the room. Within a few days he came up with the idea of how to catch and trap the insects, resulting in the first Martin's Helper.

"It took me about 15 minutes to put it all together, but it's taken me about two years to get a patent," he said.

"God works a lot quicker than the government does," he added, laughing.

Moore has four different models ranging from an 8-inch by 28-inch size, great for backyard use and light enough to carry on camping trips, picnics or outdoor family reunions, up to the largest model, a 24-inch by 48-inch that covers a 230-acre radius, according to Moore. It is marketed more toward the industrial use of dairy and poultry farmers, horse and cattle ranchers, or any other outdoor professions or activities that want to rid insects over a large expanse of area.

Dairyman Douglas Hall's 400-cow farm in Miller Grove was one of the locations where the Martin's Helper was tested and researched. In nine days, according to Moore, more than four gallons of insects had been collected.

"I was sad to see it go," Hall said after the trial period was over. "I will be buying one. We definitely saw a significant reduction in flies and mosquitoes."

Some, however, won't even have to make a purchase. Jack Whittle, Moore's neighbor for almost 20 years, gets to sit back and reap the benefits of having a neighbor with an innovative mind.

"It doesn't surprise me a bit that he's come up with something like this," Whittle said. "He's always been very ambitious. Whatever he's doing, it's working. I don't think we've had a bug bite all year."

According to Moore, they have been experiencing growing pains and making improvements over the past 21�2 years.

"There's more to it than what meets the eye," said Moore. "I've been perfecting it over the past couple of years. Lots of trial and error."

But now, with the Martin's Helper ready for mass production, Moore anticipates great success.

"There is a need for this," said Moore. "There are other products out there, but I thoroughly believe this unit is the most effective product there is."

"This will help to create a better environment for the world to live in without the use of pesticides," said Moore's wife, Joan, who is allergic to bug repellents.

Moore believes that control and prevention are of primary importance in the fight against infectious diseases contracted through mosquitoes and other biting insects.

"If it flies, this thing will catch it," he explained. "If it comes anywhere in the vicinity they will be drawn in by the sound and the light and then sucked into the bag like a vacuum."

Each model is lightweight, portable, easy to hang and maintain. And if taken care of properly, they could last a lifetime, he said.

"This is for anyone who works or enjoys being outdoors," he said. "If you've bought property and you can't get out and enjoy it, what's the use in having it?"

Moore is also offering area youth groups an opportunity to take orders and even assemble the bug catchers for a portion of the price of each Martin's Helper they sell and assemble.

"It would be a good money-making project for any youth group," he said.

The price of the Martin's Helper ranges from $465 to $700, relatively cheaper than the Mosquito Magnet Pro, which runs on propane with a price range starting at $1,200.

The Martin's Helper can be purchased at Chase Feed Store in Sulphur Springs, Farmers Co-Op in Quitman, and Ace Hardware in Canton.

They can also be seen at the Hopkins County Fall Festival this week (Sept. 15-20) in Sulphur Springs.

For more information, call Dale Moore at 903-485-2461.