Improved efficiency in insecticide use

To continue the topic of chemical pesticide use, a team comprising of researchers from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (UK) and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Brazil) have found that a more targeted approach to managing domestic mosquito populations yields significant results in vector control.

From Asia to Latin America, the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), which also carries dengue, chikungunya, and Zika among others, is often fought by spraying all of the interior walls of the home with insecticide.

Their research found that by applying insecticide to targeted areas, only 12% of the surface area needed to be treated to eliminate 85% of the disease-bearing mosquitos. When black paint was applied to this spray zone, effectiveness was even higher.

https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/news-events/news/study-finds-that-spraying-just-12-of-a-room-with-insecticide-kills-85-of-mosquitoes

This research shows promise both in terms of household economy (less spending on chemical products and treatments) and health (less exposure to persistent chemicals), and demonstrates that more efficient use of chemical products can still be effective.