Abstract
BackgroundAn in depth understanding of mosquito breeding biology and factors regulating population sizes is fundamental for vector population control. This paper presents results from a survey of mosquito breeding habitats and the efficacy of neem chippings as a potential larvicide that can be integrated in mosquito control on Nyabondo Plateau in western Kenya.ResultsSix main mosquito habitat types namely artificial ponds, abandoned fish ponds, active fish ponds, open drains, temporary pools and swamps were found in Nyabondo. Early anopheline instars were mainly recovered from temporary pools, artificial ponds and abandoned fish ponds. The mosquitoes collected were Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (35%), An. coustani (46%) and Culex spp (19%). Both early and late instar larvae of anopheline and culicine mosquitoes were more abundant in the controls than in the Bti and neem treated habitats. Within treated habitats, early instar anopheline mosquitoes were recovered more from habitats provided with neem and fish compared to Bti treated habitats. All treated habitats recorded higher numbers of early instar larvae than late instars or pupae, indicating that gravid female mosquitoes still oviposited within treated habitats.ConclusionsNeem chippings are a good tool for mosquito larval source management under field conditions. However, more research needs to be done to quantify the contribution of this tool to the overall mosquito borne disease transmission.
Highlights
An in depth understanding of mosquito breeding biology and factors regulating population sizes is fundamental for vector population control
Nyabondo plateau was searched and all stagnant waters checked for the presence or absence of mosquito larvae in January 2012
Experiments testing the efficacy of neem chippings as a mosquito larval control agent under field conditions were carried out from February to December 2012
Summary
An in depth understanding of mosquito breeding biology and factors regulating population sizes is fundamental for vector population control. Mosquito vector control programmes have relied heavily on the use of insecticides through indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs) [1,9]. Both strategies focus on indoor adult mosquito vector populations because shortening the life of this developmental stage can have a major impact on vectorial capacity [10]. This study was carried out on Nyabondo Plateau, a rural setting in western Kenya, to (a) characterize mosquito breeding habitats and (b) assess the efficacy of neem chippings as a mosquito larval source management strategy
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