STAGNANT WATER IS THE LIFELINE FOR ALL THE 3 HARMFUL MOSQUITOES TO BREED AND MULTIPLY.
Only female mosquittos have prabosis to bite and suck blood. Not males , thank goodness otherwise we will have twice the numbers troubling us. Mosquitoes are primarily attracted to carbon dioxide and the smell of skin or body odors and this impacts their propensity to bite. If female mosquitoes produce eggs immediately after sucking blood .
* Anopheles mosquitoes are the only species known to carry malaria. They also transmit filariasis (also called elephantiasis) and encephalitis.
* Culex mosquitoes carry encephalitis, Filariasis,
* And Aedes mosquitoes, carry yellow fever, dengue, and encephalitis.
All theses disease when strikes in, it is severely debilitating, life threatening and crippling. So best is to Prevent the vector from multiplying and also protect ourselves from bites.
We have studied the 4 evolution stages of Mosquito in school from egg to adult mosquito. Water is important for the mosquitoes to breed . So prevent the mosquitoes from using water bodies to multiply ,as female mosquito lay the eggs near the water bodies or on them;
The larvae need water to survive and go through evolution to become a full fledged mosquito within 10 to 14 days. Female lives 2-3 weeks, draining our blood in this period , but the male's lifespan is shorter.
In larger communities and Municipalities a systematic approach is being adopted to reduce / prevent Mosquito multiplying :
1. LARVICIDES Treatment :The drinking water storage tanks, sumps ,water bodies, ,gutters , storm water drains should be treated with chemical larvicide . Municipalities were doing it in cities and panchayats some years back when Dengue was rampant. That is a reason for fall in dengue cases after a brief spell in the 2000. THIS IS THE TIME when there is lot of water logging , the eggs [even the ones layed earlier] are transported into the water and becomes larvae. In natural lakes where there are fish which eat the larvae ,so no need for chemical larvicide; particularly the 2 species of fish GAMBUSIA and THILEPIA thrive on larvae.
2. ADULTICIDE Treatment : that is effective against full grown mosquitoes . This is being done in parks and bushes where the adult normally stay before charging the humans in the night. A flogging machine goes around and flogs the areas with chemical fumes. Instead of doing it on the roads they must flog the STORM WATER DRAINS , THE BUSHES IN THE NULLAH, Chennai corporation has started in right time . Mosquitoes are most active during early mornings and late afternoon and for this reason fogging at these times is most effective
3. STAINLESS STEEL NETTING : Stainless steel netting for windows & doors if possible to prevent the mosquitoes entering houses ; this is lasting as squirrels and rats can't bite the S.S nets as they do to plastic nets and make big gaping holes.
4. Medicated Mosquito nets were being distributed by the W..H.O in African countries which were found to be very effective and reduced the prevalence of mosquito borne diseases next few years.
5.The Gadgets : The coils, liquids , now some sheets of medicated paper. Sprays.
All the four come handy when adequate prevention isn’t done .
6.Mosquito fogging : In big residential colonies, Flats it is worth having a Fogging Machines & do the fogging periodically to prevent Mosquito breeding and eggs hatching. But the stainless steel netting has been most effective for the past 8 years in my house .
This is the season start the preparations a now and motivate the municipalities now. Remember if the female mosquitos are denied blood ethey can't produce eggs.
Lucky we have an effective medicine for Malaria the past 5 years. Artemisinin is manufactured from Artemisia Annua plant in India. The falciparum malaria has become resistant to old chloquine and C.A.Q. Dr’s know about the availability of artemisinin .
LETS PREVENT MULTIPLICATION OF MOSQUITOES AND LIVE A LIFE FREE FROM MALARIA, DENGUE , CHICKENGUNIIYA FILARIASIS AND SLEEP WELL.
Jayakumar Daniel. Qualified Yoga trainer . Tour Manager for Foreign gusts . more