Effect of sweet cane, neem leaf and neem chip dunks in mosquito larval control

Abstract

Culicine mosquito larvae were collected from stagnant water bodies both on and near the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Mannuthy, Thrissur. To create dunk formulations, powdered Acorus calamus (Sweet cane) was mixed with an appropriate natural binder. Additionally, formulations were prepared using neem leaf powder and neem chips (Azadirachta indica). The efficacy of various concentrations of these preparations on juvenile culicine mosquitoes was tested under laboratory conditions. A mortality rate of 98% was recorded with a 2.5% Acorus calamus dunk within 24 hours, with no further development observed in the remaining 2% of larvae. Comparable mortality rates for the neem leaf dunk and neem chip dunk were noted only after 72 hours.