Field trials with Bacillus sphaericus formulations against polluted water mosquitoes in a suburban area of Bangkok, Thailand.

Two newly developed Bacillus sphaericus larvicidal formulations, VectoLex CG (corncob granules) and VectoLex WDG (water dispersible granules), were tested against Culex quinquefasciatus larvae in 4 highly polluted breeding sites in Thailand. VectoLex CG, applied at rates of 0.5-2 g/m2, gave satisfactory to complete control of late-instar larvae and pupae for up to 4 wk after treatment. The VectoLex WDG, which had higher potency and was applied at rates of 0.1-0.5 g/m2, gave satisfactory control for 1-4 wk after treatment. Among the factors influencing longevity of control were dosage of a given formulation, precipitation, and flooding of the treated sites; the latter had the greatest impact. Presence of larvivorous fish did not seem to influence larval populations because there were heavy populations of mosquito larvae present in the test sites in the presence of moderate numbers of fish before the application of B. sphaericus treatments.