Entomology Research Papers/Topics

An Investigation into Impact of Unsprayed Surfaces On Mosquito Behaviour and Malaria Transmission in an Area Undergoing Indoor Residual Spraying in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT  Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) is one of the malaria vector control tools used in the control of malaria and has helped to reduce malaria transmission in many areas in SubSaharan Africa. This involves spraying the walls of rooms with insecticides so as to kill any mosquito that rest on the insecticide treated walls after feeding. However, recent discussions have been centered on the role unsprayed surfaces such as hanging cloths play in sprayed rooms in malaria transmission. In thi...

Postharvest Losses And Evaluation Of The Bio efficacy Of Chromolaena Odorata And Jatropha Gossypiifolia Against Sitophilus Zeamais Motsch And Tribolium Castaneum Herbst In The Awutu-Senya Dis

CHAPTER ONE 1.0  GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction Grains constitute the most important staple food for the growing population in most parts of the world and are usually stored to provide food reserve and seeds for planting (Niber, 1994). Maize is a very important crop of the world after wheat and rice (Purseglove, 1992). Maize (Zea mays) originated in America, and is now the principal cereal crop in the tropics and sub-tropics (FAO, 1992). In Ghana, maize is the largest staple crop an...

Biotype-Host Association And Distribution Of Adult Bemisia Tabachgenn.) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Qn Different Host Plants.

ABSTRACT Bemisia tabaci is an important agricultural pest worldwide, which used to be a minor, pest in Ghana but has become a major pest mainly due to the misuse of insecticides. The objectives of this thesis were to examine the occurrence of biotypes, within and between-plant distribution, dispersion and sampling methods for 6. tabaci adults on cassava, tomato, okra, garden egg and coral plant. Using cross-infestation, population trends and random amplified polymorphic DNA - polymerase chain...

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Adult Mosquito Sampling Methods In Three Ecological Habitats In Kwale County In South Coast, Kenya

ABSTRACT Malaria and lymphatic filariasis transmission along the coastal strip of Kenya is endemic. The predominant mosquito vectors of human malaria include Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus. The same mosquitoes transmit lymphatic filariasis with an added role for Culex quinquefasciatus. Current control strategies for anthropophagic mosquitoes largely involve methods that sample for adult mosquitoes inside human dwellings before they are implemented. Despite the intensive interv...

Diversity And Abundance Of Bees And Their Effect On Yield Of French Beans, Adjacent Mt Kenya Forest In Laikipia County

ABSTRACT French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important crop with high impact on rural employment and livelihood. In Kenya, the crop is grown for export by small scale farmers in high potential areas of Central, Rift valley and Western regions. These regions are densely populated leading to intensive farming and land fragmentation, which research has reported to be among the major threats of bee pollinators. However, amongst the known constraints, pollination has not featured amidst man...

Cultural And Botanical Methods For The Management Of Thrips On French Beans Phaseolus Vulgaris

ABSTRACT French bean is the most important export vegetable crop cultivated in Kenya. Pests and diseases are the major constrains to its production. The major pests of French beans are bean flies, thrips, and bean aphids. Amongst these pests, thrips are the most notorious and account for 63 – 68% yield loss of fresh marketable pods. Frankliniella occidentalis is the most widespread thrips species which has developed resistance to the commonly used synthetic pesticides. Farmers rely heavily ...

Residual Effects Of Insecticide-based Malaria Control Interventions On Malaria Vectors And The Status Of Insecticide Resistance In Western Kenya

Malaria is a human disease caused by a sporozoan from the genus Plasmodium, transmitted by a bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. Insecticides remain the major tool for control of malaria vectors in Kenya and therefore the potential of such programs to be compromised by the reported insecticide resistance is a major concern. Studies in western Kenya have reported reemergence of morbidity and malaria attributed child mortality which has been linked to reported spread of insecticide resistance i...

Species Abundance, Composition And Colonization Behaviour Of Malaria Vectors In A Semi-arid Ecosystem Of Baringo District, Kenya.

Malaria is one of the public health problems facing people in many parts of Kenya including semi-arid areas. It is caused by an infectious bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. To effectively implement malaria control program, the knowledge of colonization, resting behavior of the vectors and effect of distance between houses and breeding habitats on mosquito abundance is required. This research set out to determine seasonal dynamics, outdoor resting habits and colonization of larval hab...

Varroa-Specific Hygienic Behaviour And Population Abundance Of Varroa Destructor In Colonies Of Apis Mellifera Scutellata In Karura Forest, Kenya

ABSTRACT The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is one of the parasite globally reported affecting honeybee health and causing high colony losses. Of notable importance is the association of the mite with viruses and their transmission to honeybees which causes great harm to bees. Kenyan beekeepers have reported that bee populations have been on decline in recent years and therefore the need for research to establish whether Varroa destructor is negatively affecting honeybee survival and d...

Performance Of Amaranth Accessions Against Moisture Stress And Key Insect Pests And Their Indigenous Parasitoids In Arusha, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Amaranths are African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) that have recently gained importance as a food source in Africa owing to the high nutritional value of their leaves and grains. Production of this crop is, however, limited by arthropod pests especially the lepidopteran leaf-webbers, leaf-worms and stem weevils. The use of insecticides for their management is uneconomical and also present health and environmental concerns. Host plant resistance (HPR) to insects is an effective, econ...

Relative Attractiveness Of Anopheles Gambiae Mosquitoes To Synthetic Odour Blends And Human Emanations

ABSTRACT Mosquito host seeking behaviour is mediated by chemical, physical and visual cues. Identification of chemical and physical cues utilized by mosquitoes in host location can lead to the development of novel vector management strategies. This research set out to identify synthetic odour blends that simulate human body emanations that can be used to develop mass trapping devices for vector management. The relative attractiveness of human body emanations and synthetic odour blends as attr...

Evaluation Of Polythylene Based Long Lasting Treated Bed Nets On The Population Density Of Indoor Resting Anopheles Mosquitoes In Kanyaboli, Western- Kenya.

ABSTRACT Insecticide treated bednets have been shown to have a profound impact on malaria transmission in experimental trials in sub-saharan Africa. Their effectiveness requires frequent re-treament, however re-treament rates have rarely risen above 20%. The need for re-impregnation and the relatively short life span led to the development of long lasting insecticide bed nets (LLINs) for longer field use. Though these LLINs have shown good efficacy on malaria mosquitoes under control conditio...

Suitability Of Selected Drought Tolerant Grass Species As Trap Plants For Chilo Partellus (Swinhoe) In Kisumu County, Kenya

ABSTRACT The stem borer, Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a pest that attacks plants in the poacea family in tropical lowland areas of Africa. Yield losses in maize are caused by the borer feeding on plant stems, leaves, grains and tussles. It is difficult to control C. partellus since larvae hide in stems. Spraying with insecticides only kills eggs and adults. Other methods used to control C. partellus include biological, physical, geneticaland cultural methods. Trap plant...

Pollination And Guttation In Sweet Melon Cucumis Melo L. Grown Under Field And Greenhouse Conditions In Nairobi County, Kenya

ABSTRACT Sweet melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a plant that produces a fleshy edible fruit and belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. As an economic crop, the sweet melon is highly consumed by the urban population in Kenya. The pollination ecology of the crop is not well understood. Effective pollination is essential for fruit set and overall productivity of sweet melons. The use of pest control products can adversely impair pollination provision through direct decimation of pollinators or their rep...

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Adult Mosquito Sampling Methods In Three Ecological Habitats In Kwale County In South Coast, Kenya

ABSTRACT  Malaria and lymphatic filariasis transmission along the coastal strip of Kenya is endemic. The predominant mosquito vectors of human malaria include Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus. The same mosquitoes transmit lymphatic filariasis with an added role for Culex quinquefasciatus. Current control strategies for anthropophagic mosquitoes largely involve methods that sample for adult mosquitoes inside human dwellings before they are implemented. Despite the intensive inter...


286 - 300 Of 382 Results