Biting patterns of Anopheles minimus complex (Diptera: Culicidae) in experimental huts treated with DDT and deltamethrin.

Biting patterns of natural populations of Anopheles minimus s.l. females entering experimental huts treated with DDT and deltamethrin were carried out at Pu Teuy Village, Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. Two experimental huts, control and treatment, were constructed in the fashion of local Thai homes. Pre-spray biting activity of An. minimus females peaked at 19:00-22:00. Post-treatment exposure continued to show greater landing activity during the first half of the evening. An overall greater proportion of An. minimus females entered the hut treated with deltamethrin compared to DDT. The hut fitted with DDT-treated net panels showed a 71.5% decline in attempted blood feeding, whereas exposure to deltamethrin-treated panels resulted in a 42.8% human-landing reduction. DDT exhibited significantly more pronounced (P < 0.05) effects in overall reduction of biting activity than did deltamethrin.