Efficacy of Essential Oils as a Larvicide Against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

As a prominent vector of deadly diseases such as Dengue and Yellow Fever, the control of Ades albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) is a constant battle for the public. As winged adults, mosquitoes can be harder to control with pesticides and have grown resistant to commonly used chemicals. In many cases, essential oils have been used as a means to control various arthropods while minimizing the amounts of harmful chemicals in the environment. While certain essential oils have been shown as an effective method of controlling arthropods, none have compared lemongrass, nerolidol, and tea tree oils against various mosquito instars. This study tests lemongrass, nerolidol, and tea tree oils in the killing of both laboratory reared and wild caught mosquitoes located in College Station, Texas. Results show that nerolidol (P<0.001) and a ratio of 1:2 tea tree and nerolidol (P<0.001) are significantly effective as a larvicide in the amounts tested.Key words: Dengue, essential, oils, albopictus, larvicide, instar