Ecofriendly Plant-Based Insecticides Against Mosquitoes And Cockroaches

Abstract

Mosquitoes and cockroaches are the most important and abundant pest in urban, suburban and rural environment .In recent years, in all tropical and subtropical countries mosquito borne diseases have become major human health problem. Recently we heard increase in the Dengue fever cases, malaria cases and Typhoid fever in residential educational institutions and in our surrounding areas of our district. The diseases transmitted through mosquitoes and cockroaches include malaria, filariasis, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis dengue fever and Typhoid fever. Biological, chemical, environmental and individual protection measures are taken as vector control measures to prevent spread of malaria, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases. Such serious diseases controlling are becoming increasingly difficult because of high rate of reproduction and development of resistance to insecticides in mosquitoes and cockroaches.

Insect repellents date back to ancient times, with the use of tars, smokes, plant based oils and other modalities. Advancements of chemical sciences have formulated various synthetic repellents and advocated. However, constant and indiscriminate use of these synthetic repellents causes adverse effects on the users . These synthetic insect repellents have been extensively used for mosquito control by killing and thereby preventing adult mosquito bite human beings or by killing mosquito larvae at the breeding sites of vectors. The deleterious impact of these synthetic formulations on non-target population and the development of resistance have brought about the search of alternative, simple and sustainable methods of Mosquitoes and cockroach control.

The need for development of effective insecticides should be taken in to consideration due to toxicity problems, together with the increased incidence of insect resistance . In the most parts of the world, synthetic chemical insecticides continue to be applied for controlling mosquitoes and cockroaches but many of these chemicals are toxic to humans, animals and environment resistance can be problematic in regulating the control. Therefore, the present study natural substances to be used as insecticides for controlling mosquitoes and cockroaches. These Plant based insecticides are safe, eco friendly, cheap, easy to use and have maximum repellence against mosquitoes and cockroaches. Hence, an effort was made to prepare cow dung based herbal mosquito repellent. Studies have shown that many plants have evolved aromatic and insecticidal properties  that repel mosquitoes and other insects.