Inventor has rat control in the bag

By Farnoosh Torabi, Special to amNewYork | amSmallBusiness@gmail.com

July 23, 2007

Rodent repellent trash bag. (Photo by Jefferson Siegel / July 22, 2007)

Despite numbering a crowded 8 million, humans are among the minority in New York City.

From the bottoms of the subway stations to Central Park, apartment towers and, in at least one case, Taco Bell, conservative estimates bet the city houses at least one to two rats for every individual.

Other experts have pegged the population at more than 50 million. And while rat infestation here is not news, what is making headlines is one Queens inventor who says his trick to control the rat problem is all in the bag.

Joe "Dee" Dussich, is fast-selling all natural, non-toxic rat-repellent trash bags throughout the five boroughs and on Long Island.

Dussich is the CEO of JAD Corporation, a 40-year-old family business founded in Jackson Heights. The company has been a main manufacturer and supplier of plastic garbage bags and other janitorial supplies in New York for three generations.

"Basically we came up with it because the market dictates it," says Dussich, whose "ah ha!" moment came after seeing a photo of children playing near a pile of JAD trash bags surrounded by rats.

"My customer said, 'can't you develop a bag that kills rats?' My knee- jerk reaction was no -- you can harm children. We need to find out what rodents don't want," recalls Dussich.

A few years later, after periods of research and lab testing, Dussich brought Repell-X to the market. The bag ingredients include eucalyptus, wintergreen and mint, among other items, says Dussich.

He claims they can ward off rodents, rats, raccoons, mice and roaches, effectively cutting off a huge source of food. "[Rats] have very sensitive sinuses and they become more irritated the more they get near [the bags] The thought is to drive them to rodent day traps where that will kill them."

Customers so far include many of JAD's existing building managers, who can buy the bags for the same price, 25 to 35 cents each, as the non-rat repellent bags. Homeowners can buy at nomorerodents.com.

The Central Park Conservancy and Eisenhower Park on Long Island are two large clients, too.

A spokesperson for the City's Parks Department said it is too early to tell how effective the bags are. A call to Eisenhower Park was not returned.

While pricing is currently the same for Repell-X bags, Dussich says business has improved because JAD has picked up new orders from building superintendents.

"There are certain accounts we never had," says Dussich. The business is also raising the company's profile to beyond the tri-state area.

"We now work with housing authorities as far south as Miami," he says. Dussich aims to introduce Repell-X throughout the country.

"The possibilities could be huge."

Rat proof

Genesis Laboratories in Colorado experimented with eight Norway rats and concluded Repel-X was highly effective.

On the first day, the bags were found to be around 60% effective.

By the end of the week, the lab test found the trash bags to be 100% effective at repelling rats from ripping them open.

All rats survived the testing.

Contact Farnoosh at amSmallBusiness@gmail.com.