Every household must join the fight against Dengue

Tuesday, 4 August 2026 01:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The recent spread of dengue and the deaths caused by it have once again become matters of grave national concern. While the Government, health authorities and local authorities have important responsibilities, the battle against dengue cannot be won without the active participation of individual households.

Some years ago, two contributors to the Letters to the Editor page offered two simple suggestions for controlling mosquitoes. In view of the present dengue crisis, I believe these suggestions deserve to be brought to public attention once again.

The first suggestion was that every household should keep a small hand net of the type used to catch fish in an aquarium. Family members could use it to catch and destroy mosquitoes found inside the house. However, there is a more effective way of eliminating household mosquitos. This is by using a ‘mosquito swatter’ which is now in common use in city households. Unfortunately these swatters are fairly expensive for the normal citizen and it would be a help if concessions are given to purchasers. After all, the authorities will be eliminating mosquitos at no expense to themselves.

A single household may kill only a few mosquitoes each day. However, if even half the households in Sri Lanka made a determined effort to do this, the total number of mosquitoes destroyed throughout the country could be substantial. Furthermore, destroying a female mosquito may prevent the breeding of many more mosquitoes.

The second suggestion was to keep a suitable container of water with small fish, such as guppies, which feed on mosquito larvae. Mosquitoes may lay their eggs in the water, but the fish would consume the larvae before they develop into adult mosquitoes. The container must, of course, be properly maintained and the fish cared for. The health authorities could examine this simple and inexpensive method and issue appropriate guidance on its safe and effective use.

In addition, every household should set aside at least ten minutes each week to inspect roof gutters, flowerpot trays, discarded containers, blocked drains, tyres and all other places where water may collect.

Dengue control should not be regarded solely as the responsibility of the authorities. It must become a disciplined national household effort. If each concerned citizen regularly destroys mosquitoes within their households and in their immediate environments, and prevent larvae from developing in garbage dumps and drains in their own gardens and vacant plots outside, the combined effect could be considerable.

A Concerned Citizen in Moratuwa