Protection Capacity of Mosquito Repellent Ink from Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus L.) and Clove Leaf Oils (Syzygium aromaticum) Againts Aedes Aegypti

Abstract

The study of combination citronella and clove oils in mosquito repellent newspaper ink has been done. The background of this study was there prevalences of diseases such as malaria, zikka, and dengue fever that are carried by mosquitoes which hunt in the morning, at time while people usually read newspaper. Tests were undertaken in 3 (three) repetitions to determine the effectiveness of ink (as a control) and two types of mosquito repellent inks that consisted of ink and citronella-clove leaf oil with ratio of 4: 1 and 1: 1 of substances that were presumed to have insect repellent qualities. The results of this study indicated that the mixture of newspaper ink and citronella-clove oil with ratio of 1: 4 and 1: 1 offer limited protection against mosquitoes bite in the range of 1-5 hours. The efficacy of the citronella-clove leaf oi mixture as mosquito repellent was between 75.85 to 91.10. Hece, a blend of citronella and clove leaf oil could be added to printing ink and could be commercial potential as a short-period mosquito repellent. However, it is important in disseminating public health messages to emphasize the greater effectiveness of citronella and clove oils-based repellents ink in areas with risks of mosquito-borne disease.