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Vector Control Methods:
Biological and Environmental Control
- Biological control
- Largely experimental
- Option: place
fish in containers to eat larvae
- Environmental control
- Elimination
of larval habitats
- Most likely
method to be effective in the long term
- Biological control methods are not widely used
and are primarily experimental. One option in which biological
control is often used, however, is the placement of small
fish that eat mosquito larvae in certain containers, such
as decorative fountains or 55-gallon drums. Recently, a
few countries have also reported success in controlling
larvae with copepods, small invertebrate crustaceans that
feed on first- and second-stage mosquito larvae.
- Environmental control involves eliminating or controlling
the larval habitats where the mosquito lays her eggs and
the immature mosquitoes develop. This includes emptying
water from containers or covering containers that are being
used, cleanup campaigns to dispose of containers that are
not being used, and improving water supplies so that there
is less need to store water in containers. Since chemical
control is generally restricted to containers that cannot
otherwise be eliminated or managed, and biological control
is still largely experimental, environmental methods are
likely to be the most effective for long-term control of
Aedes aegypti.
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