Abstract:
Effective capture and elimination of indoor resting mosquito population is important in the fight against
mosquito borne diseases. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a simply resting box baited with
crude fruit and leaf ethanol extracts of Phytolacca dodecandra in attracting and killing indoor mosquitoes
at Korando, Western Kenya. The study was conducted in three phases: pre-intervention, intervention and
post intervention. Simple resting boxes made from galvanized wire frame measuring
30 cm 30 cm 30 cm, covered in blue and black tunic in and out and lined with carton boards were
used. The boxes were baited with socks with strong human odour and 80 ml/100mls (e/w) solution of
either crude ethanol fruit or leaf extracts of P. dodecandra, ethanol leaf extracts of Azadiracta indica or
Deltamethrin. Deltamethrin and Azadiracta indica were used as positive and water as negative control.
The treatments were applied at the intervention phase only. The boxes were left overnight in the houses
and mosquitoes collected by 6.30 h. It was observed that more Culicines than Anopheline were captured
irrespective of phase or treatment used. Mosquito densities reduced with phase of activity. P. dodecandra
leaf extracts killed more mosquitoes than fruit or A. indica leaf extracts though the number was less than
that of Deltamethrin or WHO threshold of >80% mortality. In conclusion, the simple resting boxes were
effective in collecting and killing indoor mosquitoes though lethality did not match the WHO threshold. With improved structural set up and use of pure extracts of P. dodecandra, the resting boxes can serve
as effective tools for capture, elimination, and management of mosquito-borne diseases.
2021 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open-access article under the
