Dengue Mosquito Killer - Ayurvedic Nightshade

With mosquitoes, hated by people for spreading disease, are increasingly becoming resistant to synthetic insecticides, current studies suggest that the berries of a weed common to India, Solanum villosum (S. villosum), have potential for keeping mosquitoes at bay. Solanum villosum is a member of the nightshade family known for its medicinal properties and commonly used as an ayurvedic herb. Researchers have found that S. villosum was specially effective at eliminating Stegomyia aegypti larvae, which can spread a number of viruses including dengue fever and yellow fever and is commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito. Although it was not as effective as a chemical insecticide such as Malathion, the researchers indicate that plant extracts from S. villosum have the potential for use in stagnant water where the mosquitoes breed.