Personal screened pod may solve cicada woes
CINCINNATI – Worried about getting bugged by the pending swarm of cicadas this spring as Brood X emerges? An Ohio company wants to offer you a personal shelter from the swarm.
Based in Cincinnati, Under the Weather is selling a WalkingPod Mesh with Bug-Screens that fits over the head and torso. The company, which makes pop-up protective gear, typically sells small tent-like equipment for camping events.
Unlike its other protective equipment that is sold by popular retailers, Under the Weather is selling the meshed pod only from its website for $89.99.
The new product is a variation of one of its standby personal pods, only instead of see-through plastic screens to keep out the elements, it has a fine mesh to keep out the cicadas – and mosquitoes and other bugs.
Rick Pescovitz, the company’s CEO, knows firsthand the nuisance of cicadas – he grew up in Cincinnati which saw Brood X infestations in 1987 and 2004, along with other parts of the eastern U.S.. He likened past broods to “hailstorms” of oversized bugs.
“They’re more annoying than anything – they’re noisy and they fly blindly all over the place,” Pescovitz said. “You’re walking along and bang, one runs into your forehead.”
Local experts say Cincinnati typically sees cicadas emerge in May.
In 2017, Pescovitz’s company won an investment by billionaire Mark Cuban on “Shark Tank” after pitching his venture that makes foldable plastic pods – singles and doubles – to make watching your kid’s soccer or baseball game more comfortable in cold, damp weather.
Last year, the company was forced to pivot after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled legions of sporting events. It swiftly rebounded, however, after medical, retail and other professionals began using their gear for social distancing.