Can we control mosquitoes without pesticides? A summary.
Up to now insecticides have remained the main tool for both killing mosquitoes and controlling mosquito-borne diseases, but perhaps we should broaden our horizons by looking at the effectiveness of traps in controlling tsetse flies. The problem is that we have not developed any really efficient mosquito traps, and of course population densities and reproduction rates of mosquitoes are far greater than those of tsetses. To interrupt disease transmission we do not need to eradicate vectors, but must reduce their populations to a critical threshold (breakpoint). Despite much enthusiasm, true biological control agents have not generally proved very effective, especially against floodwater species. Insect growth regulators and insect repellents have their uses but they do not provide any panacea for control. Understanding the ecology of mosquitoes is usually of paramount importance in developing control programs, especially those employing biological agents. We need, for example, to understand the intricacies of density-dependent population regulation, and computer modeling can help us to do this, as well as assist in identifying the most efficient control strategies. We need to promote noninsecticidal control of mosquitoes, but until we have developed more efficient methods, there will continue to be reliance on chemical control.
Service
M W
MW
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Parasite and Vector Biology Division, Great Britain.
D000818:Animals; D007306:Insecticides; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods*
D007306:Insecticides