The efficacy of a 2.15% imidacloprid gel bait against laboratory strain Periplaneta americana and Blattella germanica
was evaluated under laboratory conditions. The susceptibility trend of both species towards imidacloprid was: adult male
< adult female < nymphs. All stages of both species were dead within 10 days in primary poisoning testing. Periplaneta
americana adult male (LT50 = 0.47 h; LT95 = 5.24 h) died fastest, while nymphs of B. germanica took the longest time to
reach 95% mortality (LT95 = 43.84 h). In indirect exposure via secondary poisoning, only adult males of P. americana (LT50
= 100.63 h) and B. germanica (LT50 = 54.66 h) obtained 50% mortality before the testing ended. No complete mortalities
were achieved in any stages of both species within 10 days of secondary poisoning testing. Therefore, imidacloprid gel
bait used in this study was able to cause complete mortalities within less than 2 days of 10-day primary poisoning testing
but less effective in the 10-day secondary poisoning testing.
A preliminary field study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a mosquito trap; Mosquito Killing System (MKS) in
capturing mosquitoes and other insects. MKS has an automatic activation by the use of a photocell. It is also supplemented
with carbon dioxide and heat as attractants for mosquitoes and other insects. Three units of MKS were employed at three
different locations within two study sites for ten days. The mosquitoes and other insects that were trapped in MKS were
collected and morphologically identified daily in the laboratory. A total of 1,928 mosquitoes and other insects were
trapped in all units of MKS. High numbers of mosquitoes (93.05%), particularly Aedes sp. and Culex sp. were captured
from MKS. Among these, Culex quinquefasciatus (91.81%) was most abundant species collected. Only 0.84% of Aedes
aegypti and Aedes albopictus trapped in MKS. Female mosquitoes (83.44%) were found to be more attracted to MKS
compared to male mosquitoes of various species. These findings illustrated the potency of MKS utilization in surveillance
and control activities of Cx. quinquefasciatus; a nuisance mosquito and also potential vector of urban brancroftian
filariasis in Malaysia.