Control of Mosquito in Domestic Septic Tanks by Larviciding. IWA Environmental Management Series

Septic tank has been widely used for the treatment of domestic wastewater in urban environment of Malaysia. This decentralize wastewater treatment system is a practical an effective way of treating the wastewater for houses in small residential areas. However, septic tanks in tropical environment posed a major problem ude to the breeding of mosquitoes than include the aedes species, which are the facotr of the dengue virus. This paper presents the problem and control of mosquitoes in septic tanks. Thirty septic tanks in three residential areas were examined in terms of design and problems of mosquitoes infestation. One hundred sixty septic tanks in two of the residential areas were treated with larvicide quarterly. In two weeks after the treatment, the results indicated that no mosquito or mosquito larvae in the treated septic tanks. However, the septic tanks that were not treated continuously become breeding ground for mosquitoes. Quarterly application of larvicide is an effective control of aedes mosquito in septic tanks under the tropical environment.