Usefulness of water control[edit source]

Re:

Avoidance of water-logging is impractical and useless. It has been recorded that mosquito lay eggs in stagnant water, running water, brackish water and in dry places as well! Is it possible to dry up or close down all the wells, ponds, rivers, streams, paddy fields, dams, lakes etc? (Even if possible, how to overcome the environmental damage it will impart). We can eliminate breeding in flower vases, fridge, a/c, room cooler & flower pot drainage trays, etc. How to avoid breeding in rain water collected on cactus & plantain plants, where branch and trunk of large trees join together, in the holes made by bubble bee & wood pecker on old trees and in the foot prints of animals & men on wet soil during rainy season?

I think this might be going too far, at least for some types of mosquitoes. For example the AedesW mosquito which carries dengue fever, and prefers to breed in clean water. The rubbish and man-made containers of urban environments suit it very well, explaining why it is mainly an urban problem.

So, I would say that avoidance of water-logging is not useless, but certainly it is difficult, and not adequate to control many types of mosquitoes. --Chriswaterguy · talk 05:22, 28 September 2007 (PDT)

Moved from[edit source]

Hi Chris,

YOU WROTE:

I think this might be going too far, at least for some types of mosquitoes. For example the AedesWP mosquito which carries dengue fever, and prefers to breed in clean water. The rubbish and man-made containers of urban environments suit it very well, explaining why it is mainly an urban problem. So, I would say that avoidance of water-logging is not useless, but certainly it is difficult, and not adequate to control many types of mosquitoes. --Chriswaterguy · talk 05:22, 28 September 2007 (PDT)

I do not dispute the statement/fact that Aedes mosquitoes prefer clean water for breeding. What I do not understand is how avoidance of manmade water logging help mosquito contol. It is true that Wikipedia, WHO, Health ministers of Union & state cabinets of India (& probably of other nations also), officers & doctors at various levels of health departments and Medical Colleges tell what you told. But I am not able to comprehend it.If you don't mind, kindly explain how it works out. Hope you will help me understand the phenomeon. (Avoidance of water logging may give a marginal decrease, but not worth the efforts behind it. More over with the efforts of last 110 years we could not make any substantial reduction in the incidence of mosquito borne diseases and associated sufferings, deaths & financial losses).

Regarding the list of breeding places I do appreciate your thought, but most of them are reported in the Encyclopaedia Britanica which I read during the 1980's.

Shooter talk 02:36, 1 October 2007 (PDT) talk

This is a good discussion to have - will make time for it soon. I will attempt to answer it in Appropedia's mainspace (separate page), so it will be an exercise in jointly analysing and laying out the facts which hopefully others will find useful.
"More over with the efforts of last 110 years we could not make any substantial reduction in the incidence of mosquito borne diseases and associated sufferings, deaths & financial losses)."
Actually not only is there no improvement, but actually things have got worse.
On second thoughts, I should have said that things seem to have got worse in urban environments, where dengue has been an increasing problem. That's what I've heard, but I can't back it up. I'm don't know about malaria, except that it has been controlled in areas that have the resources to tackle it (partly through spraying). --Chriswaterguy · talk 02:55, 14 October 2007 (PDT)
So many factors have changed, it would be a mistake to draw firm conclusions about just one factor like waterlogging. However it does seem logical that having more mosquito breeding grounds will make it easier for mosquitoes to breed; having less will make it harder; it follows that increasing rubbish (particularly plastic and foil) in recent years provides breeding grounds and would make the problem worse. Of course making a major reduction in the breeding places for Aedis mosquitoes would require a very big change in the culture of rubbish disposal in many places - and this major change is exactly the aim of certain programs like Recycling and dengue fever in Sukunan, Indonesia and the EWB-Australia supported project Yayasan Emmanuel Water Program in Jakarta, Indonesia. It's hard work though, as you say.
I see the rubbish-reduction approach and GEM as complementary - if there are very few places for mosquitoes to lay eggs except for the very convenient GEM water containers, that has to be good, and more effective than either approach on its own. I also see reducing rubbish as a good thing of itself. --Chriswaterguy · talk 10:09, 9 October 2007 (PDT)

An appeal[edit source]

Please visit ? Efficacy of source reduction in mosquito control ? and respond through talk page.

Shooter 04:58, 13 November 2007 (PST)

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