Incidences of mosquito-borne diseases are on the rise in India. Often times, it becomes imperative for us to fumigate or fog our houses thoroughly in order to completely get rid of mosquitoes.
The first step is to begin identifying where all we can prevent larval growth in our homes. This includes identifying and clearing the places where water stagnates. This will prevent mosquito breeding. Some of the common places that one can look for are:
Flower vases: Change water in vases on alternate days.
Flower pot plates: Remove water from flowerpot plates on alternate days
Containers in washrooms, kitchens etc: Turn over all pails and water storage containers
Kitchen sink
Bird water pot
Fridge tray
Large water storage sources like overhead tanks, coolers etc should be periodically cleaned and treated with larvicides.
Killing adult mosquitoes
Mosquitos are most active in the early hours of the day and late afternoons, and that is when the treatment becomes most effective. There are two ways in which mosquito population can be controlled within a premise — spray treatment & fogging.
Spray treatment is preferred for closed areas like residential setups etc. This involves handling of insecticides, equipment etc. and should always be carried out by qualified professionals or under professional supervision. Insecticides that are WHO-certified must be sprayed on walls and dark areas inside the house. The insecticides come with no smell, no residues and have quick and immediate effect.
Areas that should be covered in spray treatment
Wall surface
Behind/under the sofa
Behind the wall unit
Behind curtains
Behind/under cupboard
Below the sink
Behind the refrigerator
Gas cylinder compartment
Under the chair
Under the table
Behind cupboard
Behind the washbasin
Behind the flush tank
Behind/under the washing machine
Behind/under the bed
Behind the AC unit
Fogging is preferred for open areas where mosquito invasion cannot be controlled manually — such as, parking lots, garden area, huge industrial setups like godowns (fumigation) etc.
In fogging, a WHO certified insecticide is used in gaseous form. The gaseous mixture of insecticide in solvent (diesel etc.) is then blown through a handy fogger machine in the premise, which kills the mosquitoes when they come in contact with it.
The effect is immediate and complete, but short-lived, unless followed up with repeated applications. Since fogging is carried out in open areas, factors like wind, temperature and humidity can influence the effectiveness of the treatment.
Do’s
People sensitive to pesticides must keep away during treatment.
Keep eatables, vegetable, fruits and food items in the refrigerator, or in sealed containers.
Cover fish tanks and drinking water containers properly.
Cover television screen, computer, laptop and other electronic gadgets.
Cover furniture, including the bed with a bed sheet. These bed sheets used for covering have to be washed with detergent before reuse.
Ventilate the house before occupation.
All furniture along wall have to be kept away from wall to enable spray treatment.
Dont’s
Don’t leave utensils and other household items including toys in open during the treatment.
Do not allow pets inside during the treatment.
Do not clean the treated surface before it has dried.
(The author is category head — Home Cleaning, Housejoy.in)