South Africa: New Hope for Anti-Malaria Efforts - Business Day

Scientists have discovered that one of the most widely used insect repellants, DEET (N,N-deithyl-meta-touamide), fends off mosquitoes by blocking their ability to smell their human targets.

Author: Steve Klaber

Fight malaria at a profit! Its primary breeding grounds, the Typha and Phragmites infestations that help cause both flooding and drought, can be harvested and made into fuel in several ways. If the Typha is growing in clean water and soil, it is also an excellent source of food. Ethanol, charcoal and fuel gas can all be made from both. In many places you should eradicate it, but watchfully so as not to squash your biodiversity. The little infestations near habitation should be cleared first. Mosquitoes are not very long ranged insects. Viewed as a weed, controlling these plants seems impossible. Viewed as a resource, controlling these plants will pay for itself.



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