WORLD MALARIA DAY

April 25, 2022

Did you know?

The Anopheles mosquito is the exclusive ‘vector’ or carrier of the malaria parasite.

Furthermore, it is just the female mosquitoes (needing to have blood meals for egg production) that act as the link between the human and mosquito hosts, in the parasite’s life cycle.

Are Mosquitoes changing their biting habits?

For a long time – the use of insecticide-treated bed nets has been hailed as the answer to conquering malaria and indeed, it has had a marked effect on the incidents of malaria globally.

But a recent study by an international team of researchers has begun to tell a different story…it seems that mosquitoes are adapting to our efforts and have started to change their biting habits!

“Wide-scale use of insecticide-treated bed nets has led to substantial declines in the global burden of malaria in recent years; however, evidence from a number of locations suggests that mosquitoes might be changing their biting behavior in order to avoid contact with these nets,” said Matthew Thomas, professor and Huck Scholar in Ecological Entomology, Penn State. “This so-called ‘behavioral resistance’ could have enormous implications for public health because if more mosquitoes feed in the evening or the morning, the protective efficacy of nets could be reduced.”

Penn State. “Malaria risk is highest in early evening.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 May 2020.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200504114037.htm

Here at Kapi Limited, where we have spent nearly 60 years in the fight against mosquitoes and have always been of the opinion that whilst nets do have their place and serve a purpose, they cannot offer a complete solution. Bed nets that have been treated for extra protection are hailed to remain effective for anything between 3-5 years. The chemicals used in treating the nets are not natural and in order to remain effective for such an extended period, must be in a very high dosage, which could raise alarm bells for parents who are wary of such constant exposure to chemicals.

In a pragmatic sense, these insecticide-doused bed nets only help for a portion of the night. For many Kenyans, living in hot, humid areas, watching TV or eating dinner under a bed net is not an option. Although many people use the bed nets when they go to sleep, they will likely have spent a large portion of the evening being bitten.

It’s now widely agreed that early evening is in fact the anopheles mosquito’s most active time, as temperatures begin to drop and the heat of the day cools off. Friday night drinks with colleagues would probably not feel as exciting huddled under a mosquito net!

So, what are the options? What can you do to protect yourself when you are out having fun with your family or friends?

This is what we do here at Kapi – we offer a wide range of mosquito control solutions designed to suit any pocket and any lifestyle.

For instance, did you know that we still manufacture over 400,000 mosquito coils every day?!

We sell boxes of coils through all major supermarkets but we also sell individually wrapped double coils – ‘moja kwa moja’ – through kiosks and wholesalers – at just 10/- Ksh each! Burn these and your evening will be mozzi free….

Or how about our NATURAL Mosquito Incense Sticks?

These come in a range of fragrances – sandal, rose and regular. They are great for either outdoors or in your home, and are made with NATURAL PYRETHRUM!, so not only are they very effective at killing mosquitoes, but they are very safe too. You can find them at any of the major supermarkets, such as Naivas, Chandarana, Quickmatt or Carrefour. Perfect for an evening outside with friends.

Another fantastic NATURAL OPTION is our FLOWER DUDUSPRAY. This too is made with NATURAL PYRETHRUM – so is both SAFE and EFFECTIVE. You can use it anywhere in the house at any time of day and it will keep those mosquitoes at bay (and the cockroaches, ants and houseflies!). It is such a great all round NATURAL insect killer. Prices may vary)

And finally, if you just want to plug in and go? Then you can opt for using one of our two different ELECTRICAL PLUG IN options.