In the battle against mosquitoes, we need to know a little about Mosquito Biology to use larvacides like SERBATE 15 EC..

Firstly, we need to emphasize that the battle against mosquitoes covers a big part of Public Health Pest Control because they are disease carriers(vectors) from the Diptera family. Malaria, Filaria, Pyrexia(Humma) and West Nile Virus are just a few of these deadly diseases.

Male Mosquitoes feed on plant extracts but females feed on both plant extracts and blood. Female mosquitoes, depending on the species, may lay eggs on the surface of standing water in groups called rafts, or individually, on the dry or moist ground or on vegetation. Because they generally lay eggs in groups, their population growth rates will be very high. Even one(1) remaining female population from winter can cause more than 16 billion mosquito populations in 6 generations.

There are approximately 3 thousand mosquito species in the World and all of them have a common need to complete their life cycle, which is WATER. Mosquitoes grow to adulthood through four stages. This process is called metamorphosis and most of this process is completed in water. Many other insects, including butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and beetles, undergo metamorphosis. The four stages in mosquito metamorphosis are egg, larva, pupa, and adult. When a mosquito egg hatches, the immature mosquito begins its life in the larval stage. Mosquito larvae, or wrigglers, live only in water. If their habitat dries up before they have developed into adults, they will die.

Mosquito larvae are generally found in shallow water, either fresh or salt, depending on the species. As the larva eats, it grows to the point where it can’t grow further, due to its hard exoskeleton. The larva then sheds or molts, its exoskeleton, leaving beneath a much softer one that will stretch as it grows. The larva will continue to eat and grow and will molt four times. Each of the four larval stages is called an instar. A mosquito larva goes through four instars, and during the final molt, the pupa emerges. The pupa, or tumbler, resembles a fat comma. It does not feed and has no eyes. This period in the mosquito’s development is devoted to growth and change. When the pupa is fully developed it will come to the water’s

surface one last time to emerge into the adult mosquito.

- Larvacidal application process prevents insects’ transition from larva to pupa, pupa to mature with PYRIPROXYFEN effect when it is applied to the insects in the process of becoming mature while larvae and nymphs evolving. Synthetic and Youth hormone-like (JHA) effect of PYRIPROXYFEN (active substance of SERBATE 15 EC) prevents pest from becoming mature by blocking metamorphosis and death occurs. Therefore knowledge about mosquito biology covers an important part of the battle against mosquitoes.

- Larvacidal application must be implemented in any period when the temperature 15 degrees and above. (The struggle is necessary for all seasons)

-  Breeding Grounds must be discovered completely and regularly.

- After discovery, a map that contains all information related to breeding grounds needs to be prepared and SERBATE 15 EC must be implemented to those areas.

Larva Struggle with SERBATE 15 EC solves mosquito control problems by %70-%80. Therefore it constitutes the basis of Mosquito Struggle. Struggle with Adults comes after larvacidal application.