An innovative way from the Netherlands to combat resistant mosquitoes

By looking closely at how bees pick up pollen from a flower, Anne Osinga of In2Care discovered an innovative way to combat mosquitoes. Using the electrostatically charged mesh he developed, small biocide particles can be efficiently transferred to mosquitoes. Using this technique, resistant mosquitoes can also be killed with a minimal amount of insecticides. As a result, the current large-scale use of insecticides for mosquito control can be significantly reduced.

This Dutch innovation is currently being successfully used to combat malaria mosquitoes in Africa, and tiger mosquitoes and yellow fever mosquitoes in America and Asia.

The new and innovative method of mosquito control will contribute to further reducing the more than 400.000 people who die from malaria every year. In addition to malaria, other diseases such as Zika, dengue, chickungunya, and yellow fever are also a major problem in large parts of the world. The Dutch only have to deal with these risks when they go on holiday to a tropical destination. Yet it is precisely in our country that innovative methods are being developed to combat these irritating insects that can transmit diseases. Today, on World Malaria Day, we pay extra attention to an innovation that can make a difference in the global fight against mosquitoes.

Knowledge from the Netherlands

Fighting mosquitoes is not as easy as it may seem. The main methods to prevent a mosquito bite are sleeping under a mosquito net and spraying insecticides. Insecticides are unhealthy for the population, have a negative impact on the environment and on top of that mosquitoes are becoming resistant to the most commonly used insecticides. Innovations are therefore needed to combat mosquitoes and thus prevent diseases. With knowledge as the basis for the Dutch economy, it is not surprising that the most important innovation in the field of mosquito control comes from the Netherlands.

Anne Osinga, entrepreneur and innovation expert, devised a smart method to transfer biocide particles to mosquitoes very locally and efficiently. “I love looking at nature. We can learn a lot from that. Nature gave me the idea to develop the In2Care InsecTech.” By observing how bees pick up pollen from a flower, Osinga managed to develop electrostatically charged mesh that can capture pollen from the air. In this way, patients who suffer from hay fever can still open the windows on a sunny day without complaints. This innovative technique was then combined with scientific knowledge about mosquito behavior. Based on the In2Care InsecTech, the In2Care team was able to develop two products that contribute to combating mosquitoes worldwide.

A new product against malaria mosquitoes

The electrostatic mesh makes it possible to achieve a very efficient transfer to the mosquitoes with minimal use of insecticides. The In2Care® EaveTube has been developed for this purpose to combat malaria mosquitoes. These EaveTubes consist of ventilation tubes containing the special mesh. “As soon as a mosquito comes into contact with our powdered mesh, the insecticide particles will transfer to the insect's body,” says Osinga. “Due to the high transfer of powder to the mosquito, we are also able to kill resistant malaria mosquitoes,” he continues.

nne Osinga has just returned from a visit to a research area in Africa. “It's amazing how happy people are with the EaveTubes. Not only with the protection against mosquitoes, but also with the extra light and more fresh air in their home. This is what we do it for!” The natural behavior of the mosquitoes to fly in through ventilation holes ensures that large numbers of mosquitoes are reached. The introduction of the In2Care EaveTubes in parts of Africa has therefore led to an enormous decrease in the mosquito population in research areas. Fewer mosquitoes also means less transmission of malaria and thus a direct improvement in public health. Such new products are desperately needed as a supplement to existing mosquito control methods such as mosquito nets and insecticide sprays.

Mosquitoes don't just spread malaria

In addition to malaria, there are dozens of diseases worldwide that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Diseases such as Zika, dengue, chickungunya and yellow fever cause major public health problems in tropical areas. Millions of people are infected each year with these diseases, which are transmitted by the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti).

In2Care was also able to develop an innovative product for combating these Aedes mosquitoes, the In2Care Mosquito Trap. “The technique we use to control Aedes mosquitoes is the same as that of the EaveTubes. However, the behavior of these mosquitoes is radically different from that of the malaria mosquito,” explains Osinga. The same statically charged mesh is used in what looks like a water-filled flower pot with a canopy. The floating mesh contains powder of an insect growth hormone and a fungus. The fungus causes an adult mosquito to die within weeks. The growth hormone prevents the eggs laid by the mosquito in the water from developing into new adult mosquitoes. “In addition, we use the mosquitoes to further spread the growth hormone to surrounding breeding grounds. After the mosquito has been powdered by the gauze, it can leave the trap again. She will look for more places to lay her eggs. These are often small amounts of stagnant water, for example in a flower pot or a gutter. New breeding grounds that the mosquito visits will also be treated with the growth hormone. In this way we very effectively treat the breeding grounds of mosquitoes that are normally difficult to combat,” explains Osinga.

The mosquito trap is currently used in more than 40 countries to combat mosquitoes. By rolling out the trap on a large scale in (sub)tropical areas, people are protected against mosquito-borne diseases and this Dutch-based company contributes to global public health.

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