Mosquito Control

The control of Mosquitoes and, namely, associated vector borne diseases is an area of primary focus of Intelligent Insect Control.

The means applied to this end have always been innovative and with respect for the users and the enviroment in which they are applied. These include control of mosquito population in urban areas, personal protective devices, such as Long Lasting Impregnated Mosquito nets, impregnated tarpualins for camps, paint and delivering knowledge and consulting services to initiatives by governments, NGOs and other private organisations.

Articles:
"Microbial control in Southeast Asia", Ole Skovmand, Invertebrate Pathology, volume 95, Iss 3, July 2007

Abstract - Link to download (payment required for some)

Beginning in the 1980s, concerns about the deleterious effects of synthetic pesticides have driven a significant Southeast Asian research and development effort directed towards alternative pest control strategies, including the use of microbial control agents. Despite this effort, use of microbial control agents has grown slowly in the region. This is the result of an interplay between internal factors such as economics, national research programs, farmer education, manufacturing capabilities and regulatory frameworks, and external factors such as the influence of neighboring countries (particularly China), the availability of competitive pest control products, import regulations on pesticide residues and the activities of donor agencies. The role of these factors in providing both incentives and barriers to the adoption of microbial control are explored, and examples of promising projects are examined as a means of pointing the way forward towards increased progress in the future.

"Prevention of mosquito nuisance among urban populations in Burkina Faso", Helle Samuelsen, Léa Paré Toé, Thierry Baldet and Ole Skovmand, Social Science & Medicine Volume 59, Issue 11, December 2004, Pages 2361-2371

Abstract - Link to download (payment required for some)

This paper addresses the problems of mosquito control in urban areas of Burkina Faso. The main objectives are to examine relevant socio-cultural aspects in relation to a mosquito control intervention using a biolarvicide with main emphasis on local perceptions of mosquito nuisance and existing practices of mosquito control, including the cost of protective measures at household level. This is the report of an inter-disciplinary research project carried out in the two major towns of Burkina Faso, Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in the ethnographic part of the study. Two questionnaire surveys were conducted in both study areas: one prior to the intervention (n=1083) and the other after the intervention of the treatments with bio-larvicide (n=956). In addition, 70 in-depth interviews and 17 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. The findings show that mosquitoes are considered an important problem in the urban areas, both as a nuisance and a health risk and that the local population is very active in applying mosquito control measures at the household level. The intervention project was received positively by the local population with a decline in the perceived level of annoyance. The causal relationship between mosquitoes and malaria is clear, but the explanatory framework of the relationship between mosquitoes and other diseases is still under debate. The most common prevention methods are mosquito coils and aerosol spray, even though bed nets are perceived to be the most efficient and effective method. The investments in coils and aerosol sprays alone would mean an increase of 40% in the national figures for health expenditure at household level.