How can we control mosquito in the workplace? Today is our toolbox topic "mosquito control". The health of workers is not only affected by injuries that may come from accidents but also by diseases. Some diseases, particularly in certain climates, are transmitted by insects, as in the case of malaria and malaria which are transmitted by mosquitoes.
In the case of diseases, the principle of prevention is as
valid as in the case of accidents. We refer here to the control of mosquitoes
as a measure to prevent the diseases and discomfort caused by these insects by
extracting the blood that serves as their food.
The first thing to do before attacking the enemy is to know his characteristics, in order to determine the most effective way to defeat him. Generally, the house mosquito can complete its life cycle within ten days. As a result, many generations of mosquitoes can be produced in one summer, where there are seasons, or throughout the year in tropical climates.
An extremely important factor is that this pest requires
still water to be able to complete the first three stages of its life, that is,
the egg, the larva, and the nymph. You need to keep this in mind before you think about how can we control mosquito.
Adult nymph mosquitoes seek shelter in neighboring foliage
and remain there until their wings harden. As night approaches they become
active and go out in search of food. The males feed on the nectar of plants and
cannot "sting". Only female mosquitoes seek blood and prefer that of
people. Due to their very small size, mosquitoes can invade houses very
quickly. When the houses lack mesh doors and windows or when they are broken or
there are cracks in the doors or walls.
The female house mosquito lays her eggs in standing or
stagnant water found in polluted streams, open sewage ditches, sewer pits,
storm drains, and flooded streets and basements. Rainwater collected in
abandoned jars, old paint pots, old flames, ornamental ponds, and clogged roof
gutters also serve as ideal places to lay eggs. Construction work forms many
mosquito breeding sites, such as deep excavation, pipe laying trenches,
confined spaces, and low sites formed by earthworks.
For this reason, it is observed that the largest number of
mosquitoes occurs in tropical climates after the rainy season, when the puddles
of water, the humidity of the environment, and the warm temperatures are
conducive.
Outdoor Mosquito Control
The fight against mosquitoes must be carried out jointly by
all the inhabitants of a place and must begin by doing everything possible to
eliminate all the stagnant water that is in the surroundings. This is the most
important step for mosquito control.
Organizations should make a combination of methods to
control mosquitoes based on an understanding of mosquito biology and its life
cycle, to formulate plans for mosquito control.
Mosquito monitoring
Mosquito surveillance helps professionals and local
governments determine when, where, and how to control mosquitoes before people
start getting sick. Mosquito control professionals want to know:
- How many mosquitoes are there in the area?
- What types of mosquitoes?
- Where are the sources of standing water where mosquitoes lay eggs and where larvae and pupae live?
- What microbes do they spread?
- Do current mosquito control techniques work?
- Elimination of places where mosquitoes lay eggs.
Mosquitoes lay eggs in water or near water because the larvae need water to survive. Professionals and workers can remove standing water to reduce mosquito larvae before they develop into adult flying mosquitoes. Clean and maintained workplace such as mess hall and rest shelter, and emptied trash on a daily basis.
You, your staff, and your workers can eliminate standing water. Once a week, where that collects water such as the hand washing area, drinking water station area, urinal, toilet, and trash cans should be emptied and scrubbed, turned over, covered, or discarded.
What you need to know about ways can protect yourselves from mosquito bite
- Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks whenever possible.
- Spraying or applying a repellent according to label directions.
- Maintain good housekeeping.
- Regularly inspect your work area and eliminate breeding sites.
- Take time to tour the workplace, and identify areas of standing water (e.g., puddles, birdbaths, pot saucers, buckets).
Mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. I recommend supervisors, whenever possible, to work indoors at these times and to perform work outdoors when mosquitoes are least active. And a training program on what to look for and the steps workers need to take to minimize the risk of mosquito bites.
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Conclusion
If it is not controlled on time local mosquitoes spread
viruses (such as West Nile, dengue, and Zika viruses), etc. Controlling larvae
and pupae before they become adults can minimize the need for widespread insecticide
use to kill adult mosquitoes.
Once the mosquito eggs hatch, they develop into larvae and
then pupae. Both larvae and pupae live in stagnant water. For stagnant water
that cannot be dumped or drained, a larvicide can be used to kill the larvae.
