How does methoprene work in mosquito management?

How does methoprene work in mosquito management?

• A. It kills adult mosquitoes.
• B. It disrupts development from larva to adult.
• C. It repels mosquitoes.
• D. It dissolves larval habitat.

Answer: (B)

Methoprene is an insect growth regulator used in mosquito control. It targets the immature mosquitoes in the water, not the adults. By acting as a juvenile hormone analog, it prevents larvae from molting properly and maturing into pupae and eventually adults. This means fewer mosquitoes emerge as adults, lowering the population over time. It’s applied to standing water where larvae develop and can provide ongoing control, but it doesn’t kill adult mosquitoes, repel them, or dissolve larval habitat.

Methoprene is an insect growth regulator used in mosquito control. It targets the immature mosquitoes in the water, not the adults. By acting as a juvenile hormone analog, it prevents larvae from molting properly and maturing into pupae and eventually adults. This means fewer mosquitoes emerge as adults, lowering the population over time. It’s applied to standing water where larvae develop and can provide ongoing control, but it doesn’t kill adult mosquitoes, repel them, or dissolve larval habitat.