Determination of electrostatic charge in mosquitoes: method development, validation and utilization in proprietary insecticide aerosol technology

With an increased urbanization and climate change, the instances of mosquito-borne diseases are on rise leading to risk of epidemics, thus necessitating an effective method towards tackling. Recent advancements in the electrostatic fields have been in discussion for the control of mosquitoes. This study thus investigates the electrostatic charge on mosquitoes using a bespoke device. The charge on a single mosquito was determined to be 52 picocoulomb (pC). The method for charge determination was validated for commercial usage using the parameters specificity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), linearity, precision and robustness. The method was found to be sensitive and reliable; however, it may not fully capture the electrostatic characteristics of mosquitoes as occurring in natural conditions. Data generated for static charge of mosquitoes was used with a proprietary aerosol technology developed by Reckitt where charge attraction between aerosol droplets and flying mosquitoes was used for a better efficacy against the standard market aerosol available. Determination of charge on the mosquitoes forms the stepping stone for advancement of entomological research and development of effective insect control strategies.