According to a study published in Scientific Reports, scientists researching the behaviour of these notorious pests have confirmed that mosquitoes have learned to steer clear of places with pesticides after as little as a single, non-lethal exposure.
With their keen sense of smell, mosquitoes, particularly the females, are becoming adept at avoiding areas with the distinct odor of pesticides. As Frederic Tripet, a behavioural ecologist and director at the Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology at Keele University in the U.K., points out, mosquitoes are intelligent enough to associate different patterns, visual cues, or smells with positive or negative experiences, much like humans. This intelligence underscores the need for more sophisticated solutions in our battle against these pests.
"This tells us something," says Adiba S Ajanee, Deputy Managing Partner at Standard Finis Oil Co. "As pesticide manufacturers, we cannot alert the mosquitoes, especially the female ones, of our presence, have them escape, avoid contact with medication and then go procreate elsewhere." She feels that pesticide manufacturers across the country need to outsmart modern mosquitoes and evolve faster.
"Products that delay the kill- so mosquitoes don't associate the medicine with the effect- can be produced, and the smell can be disguised to confuse them," shares Adiba. However, she emphasises that for any of these innovative solutions to be implemented, the regulatory bodies of Bangladesh must update and streamline their processes. These updates are not just necessary, but crucial, to allow new product launches to happen much more seamlessly. "It is a chemical-based industry," she adds. "A very sensitive industry, so industry regulation, in terms of the products that are available to consumers, becomes all the more vital in this case."
Founded in 1950, Standard Finis Oil Company was a pioneer in producing health and sanitation-related products in Bangladesh. Over more than 70 years, it has keenly focused on manufacturing affordable, disease-preventive items, keeping ecological consciousness and consumer safety as a cornerstone in all its manufacturing practices. The company is committed to offering high-quality, disease-preventive, and health-safe products. It strives to provide accessible, affordable insecticides and disinfectants across all consumer channels, in Bangladesh and beyond.
Adiba.ajanee@finis.com.bd