COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MARIGOLD (TAGETES ERECTA) PLANTS AS MOSQUITO REPELLENT WITH FERMENTATION-BASED OVITRAP MOSQUITO TRAPS IN URBAN AND RURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Background: Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) remains a major public health challenge globally, primarily vectored by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Vector control strategies increasingly focus on eco-friendly, community-based approaches. Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mosquito-repellent Marigold plants (Tagetes erecta) (TMPN) against fermentation-based ovitrap traps (KAOFPN) in capturing or repelling mosquitoes across urban and rural houses over a 4-day observation period. Methods: A quasi-experimental study with a comparative approach was conducted across 36 houses (18 urban, 18 rural). Ovitraps and Marigold plants were placed across 11 specific indoor and outdoor monitoring stations. Data were analyzed using Paired Sample T-Test, Levene's Test, One-Way ANOVA, and Tukey's HSD Post Hoc test, supplemented by Effect Size (Cohen’s d) calculations. Results: The results indicate that KAOFPN captured a significantly higher number of mosquitoes compared to the repellent effect of TMPN across both urban and rural settings (\(p < 0.05\)). The highest mosquito density was observed in outdoor backyard gardens (urban: mean 32.00 \(\pm \) SD 0.00; rural: mean 35.00 \(\pm \) SD 0.00 using KAOFPN). One-Way ANOVA confirmed significant differences in mosquito capturing/repelling effectiveness across stations (\(p = 0.000\)), with Post Hoc Tukey HSD identifying outdoor backyard gardens and terraces as locations with the largest vector densities. Conclusion: Fermentation-based ovitraps (KAOFPN) are highly effective tools for vector surveillance and mass trapping, whereas Marigold plants (TMPN) act as supplementary spatial repellents. Integrated vector management combining both methods is recommended for community health promotion.