Pest Control  Pest Library Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a family of small insects the Culicidae. They consume blood from living vertebrates, including humans. The females of many species of mosquitoes are blood-sucking pests. In Uganda, we have 3 major species I.e. Anopheles, Aedes and Culex.

Mosquito control is done through Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and larviciding. It targets all types of mosquitoes and is very effective if done communally.

Dag & Bragan is one of the few companies trained by the Government of Uganda and USAID in Indoor Residual Spraying.

How to reduce infestation

  • Indoor Residual Spraying involves spraying the internal surfaces of houses to kill adult female mosquitoes hence reducing the mosquito population and reducing human/mosquito contact.
  • Larval Control is the control of mosquitoes by killing larva in breeding sites using chemicals.
  • Managing breeding sites by reducing stagnant water or any other favorable breeding sites.

Quality assurance tip

Always ask your pest control provider to provide an integrated pest management (IPM) plan for your property.

Health and safety tip

In order to reduce the use of chemicals, communities and property managers can eliminate mosquito breeding grounds by removing unused plastic containers and old tyres, clearing bushes on unused properties , clearing clogged  gutters, etc.

Environmental tip

Bio- control” through the use of natural predatorscan be used to manage mosquito populations e.g.  Introduction of larvae feeding fish.

Plants known to repel mosquitoes may be used in gardens.

Regulatory tip

Commercial pest control is regulated by Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry & Fisheries (MAAIF) and all pest controllers must have a license issued by MAAIF. Even though public health pest control is not regulated yet, MAAIF license may suffice.

Fun facts

  • Only female mosquitoes feed on blood.  Both male and female feed mainly on fruit and plant nectar, but the female also needs the protein in blood to help her eggs develop. Once she’s had her fill with blood, she’ll rest for a couple of days before laying her eggs.
  • Mosquitoes don’t have teeth.  The females “bite” with a long, pointed mouthpart called a proboscis. They use the serrated proboscis to pierce the skin and locate a capillary, then draw blood through one of two tubes.
  • A mosquito can drink up to three times its weight in blood. It would take about 1.2 million bites to drain all the blood from your body.
  • Indoor Residual spraying led to the elimination of malaria in America, Southern Europe, the USSR, and great reductions in many Caribbean and South-Eastern Asian countries.
  • Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and lactic acids at distances of 25-30 meters and that is how they track their hosts.
  • A mosquito can fly up to 1.5 km with the help of winds. This makes communal pest control a necessity in mosquito control since breeding sites can be far from one’s home.
  • Mosquitoes are usually blamed for Malaria but they are as innocent. The real parasites live in man, Mosquitoes are just carriers from one man to another.