Development of environmental tools for anopheline larval control

Man-made habitats provided with shade from different crop species produced significantly fewer larvae than those without shade especially for the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. Larval control of the African malaria mosquito An. gambiae and other mosquito species was effective in habitats where both predatory fish and Bti were applied, than where the two biological control agents were administered independently.We conclude that integration of environmental management techniques using shade-providing plants and predatory fish and/or Bti are effective and sustainable tools for the control of malaria and other mosquito-borne disease vectors.Development activities that entail clearing of forests and/or drainage of swamps for timber, agriculture, human settlement and road construction often create suitable breeding sites for malaria mosquitoes [1-4]. Irrigated fields and areas with vegetable crops are ecologically good breeding sites for anopheline larvae [5-8] and they indirectly lead to sustained levels of malaria transmission [9]. The gradual increase in human population in western Kenya has put pressure on land available for farming and as a consequence, areas that were previously natural swamps and forests have been transformed into agricultural fields that provide suitable breeding habitats for mosquitoes.One way of adapting to changes in land use and preventing the transmission of mosquito-borne disease may be achieved through the control of immature mosquitoes. The control of immature mosquito populations is advantageous because the larvae are usually concentrated, relatively immobile, and occupy a minimal habitat area compared with adults [10,11]. Several larval control programs in China, India and Sri Lanka have shown great success in controlling mosquitoes through good water management practices [12]. In Africa, malaria prevention through the control of immature mosquitoes has not received as much attention as adult mosquito control [11]. This is despite the