REPELLENT EFFICACY OF SOME ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST Aedes albopictus

Background: Mosquito species are the most important among the insects; for the reason that they transmit major diseases viz. malaria, dengue, chikungunya, zika, filariasis and various forms of encephalitis; imposing enormous menace to human as well as animals. These diseases cause huge amount of mortality and morbidity across the world. The principal strategy for fighting these diseases is the vector control including the use of repellent against adult mosquitoes. Use of essential oils as mosquito repellent has been suggested by different studies. Keeping in view of the above, we have evaluated synergistic activity of five essential oils in different combinations against Aedes albopictus mosquito. Methods: Five essential oils i.e., 1) Aniba rosaeodora (rosewood), 2) Cymbopogon citrates (lemongrass), 3) Eucalyptus citriodora (lemon scented), 4) Litsea cubeba (litsea), 5) Pelargonium graveolens (geranium), were used for study. The Klun and Debboun test module (K & D module) was used for this repellent testing. Results: Among all combinations, the combination of Aniba rosaeodora (rosewood) and Litsea cubeba (litsea) oils showed 82% repellency against Aedes albopictus mosquito up to 4 h. Conclusions: In conclusion, we extended the application of essential oils for medically important mosquito control management. The results of this study are useful for developing eco-friendly, efficient and secure mosquito repellent.