Bio-Pesticides: New Tool for the Control of () (Culicidae: Diptera) in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND

Application of plant extracts as mosquito control strategy was practiced from centuries. These are easily available, non-toxic, biodegradable and exhibit broad-spectrum target specific activities against larval stages of mosquitoes.

METHODS

Different potential parts of locally grown plants, seeds of nutmeg (), peel of musambi (), leaves of babuna () mint () and ginger rhizome () selected and evaluated for their larvicidal properties against () . Oils were extracted through steam distillation process and extracts were evaluated as per WHO 2005 guidelines for testing of insecticides against larvae of mosquitoes.

RESULTS

Among the five plant extracts, had the lowest LC (400.81ppm) while had the highest LC value (710.30ppm) respectively after 24h of exposure. In terms of % age mortality, a series of concentrations (300-800ppm) gave high % mortality in case of while gave low % age mortality.

CONCLUSION

All the five plant species have larvicidal effects to certain extant and had great potential. Further small-scale field trials with the extracts of the most promising one () shall be conducted to determine operational feasibility.