Mosquitoes Control
Mosquito control will be achieved following two IPM ( Integrated Pest Management) approaches that are already practiced in developed nations like US and in European countries under IPM as recommended by WHO, These approaches employ novel products with new ingredients that do not spoil the environment and water courses. There are bio-pesticides and insect growth regulators for controlling immature stages of mosquitoes. The application of products will be based on the baseline data of mosquito surveillance collected every fortnight as part of sound IPM strategy to not to waste or dump any chemical unwanted without any scientific data and supporting evidence. So all PM activities will be need based With evidence on larval mosquito population in breeding sites and adult mosquito population in resting sites. However a contingency plan with standing instruction for a carefully designed schedule of mosquito control activity for the control of both larval and adult mosquito will be in place.
Source reduction through larval control is the first and foremost tool in IPM wherein large part of the immature stages are kept under control so the adult population is under check through less efforts and less application of pesticides. The two areas of IPM in mosquito control are:
1) Source reduction for larval control and,
2) Adult mosquito control.
These two mosquito control areas employ two different approaches, techniques, products and equipment as the larval control will be in water courses where mosquito immature stages especially larvae are breeding. Similarly, the adult mosquito control employs totally different control methods, products and equipment and based on different concept of adult mosquito control. Every mosquito control operation designed will have an elaborate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) so that the technicians follow the procedures approved by management for IPM without any deviation and errors while doing the operations. In IPM, various products with safety to human being, wild life, water, soil and other animals will be used to control mosquitoes.
Mosquito goes through four separate and distinct stages of its life cycle and they are as follows: Egg, Larva, pupa, and adult. Each of these stages can be easily recognised by their special appearance. There are four common groups of mosquitoes living in the Bay Area. They are:
Aedes:- mosquitoes are painful and persistent biters, attacking during daylight hours (not at night). They do not enter dwellings, and they prefer to bite mammals like humans. Aedes mosquitoes are strong fliers and are known to fly many miles from their breeding-sources.
Culex:- mosquitoes are painful and persistent biters also, but prefer to attack at dusk and after dark, and readily enter dwellings for blood meals. Domestic and wild birds are preferred over man, cows, and horses. Culex tarsalis is known to transmit encephalitis (sleeping sickness) to man and horses. Culex are generally weak fliers and do not move far from home, although they have been known to fly up to two miles. Culex usually Iives only a few weeks during the warm summer months.
Anopheles (that can spread malaria to humans)- These tend to breed in bodies of permanent fresh water. Anopheles mosquitoes also have abdomens with pointed tips. They include several species, Such as the common malaria mosquito (Anopheles quadrimaculatus), that can spread malaria to humans.
Only female mosquitoes bite animals and drink blood. Male mosquitoes do not bite.warm summer months.
Mosquitoes tend to bite in the early morning or evening (anopheles & culex ) and Ades mosquito attacking during daylight hours.
Bites can cause itching and a red swelling.
Mosquitoes in flight emit a distinctive high-pitched buzz, which can interrupt sleep.
Most species of mosquito can carry the viral diseases, yellow fever, dengue fever, West
Nile virus and Malaria, and ZICA Virus.
IPM ( Integrated Pest Management ) Adults& Larvae Mosauitoes Control Plan.
The control measures used in this IPM program will be of biological, physical and mechanical Products and methods recommended by WHO which do not tamper the ecological balance of soil , water and atmosphere. Need based chemical insecticides which are recommended and which are relatively safer as per WHO toxicity category of products for use will be employed all
through this IPM program.
Mechanical Control (Prevention).
- Replace all stagnant water at least once a week.
- Sand filing.
- Source reduction.
- Remove trash from around any standing water.
- When sleeping outdoors or in areas where mosquito populations are heavy, surround your bed with “mosquito” netting.
- Screen windows, doors and other openings with fine mesh.
- Eggs lying control Traps (OviTarp& Deleter Trap).
- Light Traps/Co2 Traps.
- Use insect repellent on exposed skin anytime you’re around mosquitoes. Repellent doesn’t kill the mosquitoes. It just disorients them and they look elsewhere for food.
Biological Control (Larvae Mosquito Control).
Used the, Gambusia or Tilapia Fish, for mosquito control (fish eating larvae of Mosquitoes).
Non Chemical Control (Physical Action ).
Using Aquatain AMF which is a unique silicone-based liquid without any pesticide or toxic chemicals, which equally spreads across water surface to form a fixed insulating thin layer.
Chemical Control.
The methods of control for adults are of two types one is application of products in the form of Cold Fogging which is a conventional practice which uses smoke generated from Water and which is Considered as a major pollutant in mosquito control operations. The IPM program will use the latest WHO recommended fogging method called ‘Cold Fogging’ which uses water as carried and Spray through an Ultra-Low Volume (ULV) spraving equipment to produce fine mist spray so that the insecticide whether herbal or chemical will kill the flying adult mosquitoes instantly and will be deposited in around the surfaces or plants nearby so that they are expected to offer better and Prolonged control on adult mosquitoes when they rest on these surfaces. This is the concept of sound IPM to reduce environmental pollution and with more effective manner of applying products for adult mosquito control.
Larval Mosquito Control.
Mosquitoes breed in water courses. Culex mosquitoes breed in polluted waters, while Anophles and Aedes mosquitoes breed in clean water such as rain water and ground water which is available exposed including ponds, pools, lakes, tanks, overhead drinking water tanks and waters stored in
Containers and vessels in residential and industrial premises.