Abstract:

Background: In 2015, WHO estimated 214 million cases of malaria worldwide (1). The disease burden had been attributed by several challenges encountered in the carrying out of vector control to decimate mosquito populations including insecticide resistance and change of antropopaphagic mosquito feeding behavior from endophagic to exophagic (2). This study was done to determine the potential of boric acid incorporated in sugar bait to decimate adult mosquito populations by exploiting their sugar feeding behavior.

Method: This study which was done at Tanzania Pesticides Research Institute in Arusha. Fresh mango juice was prepare and mixed with boric acid to obtain 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.25% and 0.175% concentrations which were each put into separate cages containing 45 laboratory reared adult Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. Mortality recorded after 24 hours intervals.

Results and Discussion: Mortality was concentration dependent, the lowest was 48% and 89% for 0.175% boric acid while the highest was 96% and 100% for 2% boric acid after 24 hours and 48 hours respectively thus proved effective in mosquito control. Spraying of such preparations on Vegetation that act as natural mosquito attractants e.g. Acacia saligna, Tamarix jordanis and Polygonum equisetiforme should be exploited in mosquito control should be exploited in mosquito control (3).

Conclusion and recommendations: Boric acid sugar baiting is effective in mosquito control thus should be incorporated in malaria vector control. Further studies should be done on more vegetational mosquito attractants and evaluation of its applicability to control other disease vectors such as house files and tsetse files.