Implementación de estrategias de control de moscas mediante el uso de un repelente natural a base de extracto eucalipto (eucalyptus globulus) en el barrio mochuelo alto

Abstract

The present study focused on the development of a natural repellent based on eucalyptus extract (Eucalyptus globulus) to control the fly population. The study was conducted in the Mochuelo Alto neighborhood, Bogotá, due to its proximity to the Doña Juana garbage landfill in the Ciudad Bolívar locality. During the research, environmental issues caused by the landfill were identified through the implementation of surveys, particularly in the realm of health, including respiratory and skin diseases caused by the proliferation of vectors such as flies and rodents. Additionally, there is evidence of a lack of attention from the CGR (Landfill Management Center) towards the community. This leads to an evaluation of the few guarantees that the neighborhood residents have for living decently. Throughout the process, homes within the study area were selected to apply the repellent, using different concentrations of eucalyptus extract (5%, 10%, and 15%). Subsequently, comparisons were made between the results obtained with each concentration, verifying the effectiveness of the repellent against black garbage flies (Hydrotaea aenescens), using a humidifier as the application method. The use of the repellent is examined to assess whether it contributes to reducing health risks for the population, while also aiming to determine the potential presence of side effects in individuals. It is crucial to consider that the concentration of eucalyptus essential oil has shown its effectiveness in repelling flies, albeit with certain variations depending on the behavior of the insects and the application method of the repellent. It was found that the repellent time of eucalyptus extract varied according to its concentration. On average, these were the results: at a concentration of 5%, repellency lasted 17 minutes; increased to 26 minutes at 10%, and reached 46 minutes at 15%. Additionally, the conducted survey showed that the eucalyptus-based repellent does not present secondary effects in the households where it was tested.