FOGGING is effective only when the chemicals come in direct contact with mosquitoes. There are concerns that frequent fogging may even increase mosquitoes’ resistance to insecticides, giving rise to strains of super mosquitoes.
Fogging does not reduce mosquito populations because it does not kill mosquito larvae or pupae.
If fogging were an effective mosquito control method, we would see a decrease and not increase in dengue cases in Malaysia.
The chemical pesticides used in fogging and spraying are neurotoxins that can adversely affect the nervous systems of humans, companion animals and birds. Fogging also kills beneficial insects such as ladybirds, and pollinators such as butterflies and bees.
There are inexpensive and pesticide-free methods of mosquito control advocated by biologists and researchers, and these often involve getting building owners and cleaning contractors to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites, including less-expected breeding sites such as the bracts of flowers and plants, septic tanks, gutters, and damp bathroom floors.
Increasing biodiversity in parks and gardens by bringing in native fish, frogs, dragonflies, and bats that feed on mosquitoes and their larvae can help to reduce mosquito populations and restore degraded ecosystems.
Wong Ee Lynn
Petaling Jaya
