Associate Professor University of Florida Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory Vero Beach, Florida
Wide spread insecticide resistance has increased interest in development and use of alternative control strategies. One alternative strategy that has increasing interest is the use of spatial repellents as a means of limiting human exposure to mosquitoes by controlling their access to dwellings. Pyrethroid based spatial repellents have been shown effective against a variety of biting insects, however their popularity may contribute to the spread of resistance to permethrin, one of the most commonly used insecticides worldwide. Mosquitoes with resistant genotypes may have altered phenotypes for life history traits along with reduced mortality (insecticides) or repellency (spatial repellents) after exposure. Thus new products, including spatial repellents, should be investigated and adapted for mosquito control. It is unknown how rapidly resistance may develop to spatial repellents nor the consequences to other mosquito life history traits, but this information is key to effective reduction of human-mosquito contact. This study investigates the efficacy of using essential oils as spatial repellents against Aedes aegypti, with a focus on development of resistance to essential oils and subsequent effects on mosquito life history traits.
