Relative repellency of woodsmoke and topical applications of plant products against mosquitoes.

The repellent action of various plant products was evaluated against anopheline and culicine mosquitoes in a rural village in the Wosera area, Papua New Guinea. A 5 x 5 Latin square design was used. Wood from four home-grown plant species was burned outdoors in the first experiment, and mosquitoes attracted to human bait were collected from 1800 to 2400 hours. In the second experiment, bruised leaves from another four plant species were rubbed on to the legs of human baits followed by mosquito collections. Woodsmoke and topical applications reduced biting of human volunteers by 79% and 51%, respectively. This low-technology control method may be included in the range of options for householders in order to reduce mosquito nuisance and improve their standard of health.