Do mosquitoes breed in maiza plant axils?

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Public Health
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Mosquitoes, particularly Anopheles species, are vectors for malaria.
• Standing water in plant axils can serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes.
• Maize cultivation is widespread in malaria-endemic regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of maize plants as breeding sites for mosquitoes.
• To evaluate the efficacy of maize slashing as a malaria control strategy.

Main Methods:

• A survey of 1,507 tasselled maize plants in Lusaka and 96 in a rural village was conducted.
• The presence of water and mosquito larvae in maize plants, specifically around developing cobs, was assessed.

Main Results:

• Approximately 28% of surveyed maize plants contained water, primarily around the developing cobs.
• Crucially, no mosquito larvae were detected in any of the water-holding parts of the maize plants.

Conclusions:

• Maize plants, despite holding water, do not appear to serve as significant breeding grounds for mosquitoes in the surveyed areas.
• The practice of maize slashing as a component of malaria control programs is not supported by these findings and is considered unjustified.