Residual and pre-treatment application of starycide insect growth regulator (triflumuron) to control Aedes aegypti in containers.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Dengue is not endemic in Australia, although the vector mosquito Aedes aegypti is. In order to prevent dengue establishment, Australia maintains tight control of vector mosquitoes. Tight control programs often necessitate regular repeat application of treatments, and this is resource intensive. We sought to investigate the efficacy and longevity of triflurumon Starycide® Insect Growth Regulator under field conditions in tropical Australia against Aedes. We compared two doses (0.48 and 0.96 ppm), applied to water receptacles with delayed flooding by zero, two, and four weeks. RESULTS: We found greater than 90% inhibition of pupae development was achieved for up to 12 weeks. A dose of 0.96 ppm, when delayed for two or four weeks before flooding, provided 50 times inhibition relative to controls, for up to 22 weeks, suggesting triflumuron bound to the plastic substrate and offered a greater residual effect than applications without delayed flooding. CONCLUSION: We conclude that triflurumon offers excellent efficacy and longevity against Aedes in artificial containers. If deployed under standard conditions, re-application may not be required for up to 22 weeks, furthermore, initial applications could be performed under dry conditions, and this application method may improve the residual effects.