Volcanic glass spray can kill mosquitoes

An indoor residual spray made by combining a type of volcanic glass with water showed effective control of mosquitoes that carry malaria, according to a new study.

The findings could be useful in reducing disease-carrying mosquito populations—and the risk of malaria—in Africa.

Malaria annually kills some 400,000 people in Africa. The use of insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual sprays are the most common and effective methods of reducing mosquito populations in Africa.

Mosquitoes are becoming increasingly resistant to the commonly used insecticides such as pyrethroids, however, so the need for alternative safe chemistry to use in controlling mosquitoes is