4 Mosquito Types Every Local Government Must Know: Aedes, Anopheles, Culex and Mansonia, the Diseases They Carry, When They Bite, and How to Time Control With the AIROFOG AT35 Thermal Fogging Machine

Not all mosquitoes are the same. Each group breeds in different places, bites at different times and carries different diseases. When a local administration sprays everything the same way, the budget runs out without hitting the target. This guide summarizes well-established basics about four important mosquito groups in Thailand so leaders and public health teams can plan disease control straight away.

1-minute summary

• Aedes (striped mosquitoes): Carry dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Bite in the daytime. Breed in containers of clean water.
• Anopheles: Carry malaria. Mostly bite at night. Common in forests, forest fringes and border areas.
• Culex (nuisance mosquitoes): Bite from dusk into the night. Some species carry Japanese encephalitis, and some carry filariasis in certain areas.
• Mansonia ("tiger mosquitoes" in Thai): Important vectors of some forms of filariasis in swamps and marshes. Larvae attach to the roots of water plants.
• The principle: Remove breeding sites specific to each group, protect people at the right hours, and spray resting sites during the hours each mosquito is active.
• Recommended tool: The AIROFOG AT35, a 100% stainless steel, lightweight thermal fogger for water- and oil-based chemicals, certified in Germany and the UK. Its fog penetrates shrubs, drains and the space under houses.
• Next step: Call 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268 for a quotation and specifications, request a demonstration and training, then budget the equipment under your regulations.

"A mosquito is a mosquito. Why not spray them all the same way?"

(Illustrative scenario) Sunisa has just transferred in as the public health officer of a subdistrict administrative organization in the lower south of Thailand. Her subdistrict packs many landscapes into one area: dense villages along the main road, rice paddies and backyard pig pens, rubber plantations running up to a forested hillside, and a peat swamp and marshes choked with water lettuce and water hyacinth.

At the council's budget meeting, she proposed buying a new thermal fogging machine together with a mosquito control plan divided by area. One council member raised his hand: "A mosquito is a mosquito. Why complicate things with separate plans? Last year we sprayed the whole subdistrict twice." Another added, "My village gets sprayed and there are still lots of mosquitoes. Spraying is pointless."

Sunisa explained that the mosquitoes biting villagers in the daytime are a different group from those biting rubber tappers at three in the morning, and different again from those rising from the marsh at dusk. Spraying the whole subdistrict twice a year at one time of day matched none of them. She asked for time to prepare a briefing, "Four mosquito types we need to know," for the council to read before voting. That briefing is the outline of this article.

The four types on one page

Note: the table shows general characteristics. Individual species and local populations can behave differently. Refer to local entomological data from the Department of Disease Control and the regional Office of Disease Prevention and Control.

Type 1: Aedes, the daytime biter next door

Identification: Aedes mosquitoes have black bodies and legs with white stripes. The key species are the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), which lives closely with people in and around homes, and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), common in orchards, rubber plantations and shady gardens.

Diseases: Aedes transmit dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Dengue begins with several days of high fever, headache and muscle aches; some patients show bleeding spots, and shock can develop as the fever falls, which makes it dangerous especially for children and people with chronic conditions. Chikungunya causes fever and severe joint pain that can linger for weeks. Zika is usually mild in adults but is of particular concern in pregnancy.

Behavior: Aedes bite in the daytime, especially in the morning and late afternoon. They rest in dark, sheltered spots indoors such as under tables, behind cupboards and on hanging clothes. Females lay eggs on container walls just above the waterline, and the eggs can survive drying for long periods, hatching as soon as rain refills the container.

Breeding sites: Water jars, storage tanks, vases, plant saucers, old tires, coconut shells, latex collection cups in rubber plantations, and rubbish that holds rainwater.

Control: The core is source reduction under the Department of Disease Control's "3 Keeps to prevent 3 diseases" campaign: keep homes tidy so mosquitoes cannot rest, keep rubbish from holding water, and keep water containers covered. Add larvicides or larva-eating fish in containers that cannot be covered. When a dengue case occurs, the disease control team sprays adult mosquitoes around the patient's home within a radius of about 100 meters to break transmission, at dawn or in the evening when Aedes are active.

Role of the thermal fogger: Fog penetrates corners, under-house spaces, shrubs and gardens where Aedes rest, which makes it well suited to spraying around patients' homes in villages.

Type 2: Anopheles, the malaria vector of forests and borders

Identification: The Thai name, roughly "chimney-bottom mosquito," comes from its resting posture: the abdomen tilts up at an angle to the surface, while other mosquitoes rest parallel to it. Many species have dark-and-light spotted wings. Thailand has many Anopheles species, but only some are major vectors.

Disease: Malaria, known locally as "shaking fever" or "forest fever," is caused by Plasmodium parasites. Typical symptoms are fever, chills and sweating, which can recur in cycles. Severe forms can be fatal if treatment is delayed. People at risk include those who go into the forest, rubber tappers and farmers at the forest edge, soldiers and officials in border areas, and mobile workers. Thailand aims to eliminate malaria, so finding and treating cases quickly is vital.

Behavior: Most Anopheles feed at night. Some bite outdoors from early evening, others late at night or before dawn, so behavior varies by species and area. Larvae prefer fairly clean water: slow streams, forest pools and shaded stream banks.

Control: The main measures are rapid case detection and treatment, sleeping under nets (especially insecticide-treated nets), indoor residual spraying in high-risk areas under disease control plans, and repellent use in the forest. Thermal fogging is a supplementary measure in specific situations, such as around villages or worker camps with cases, in the early evening when mosquitoes become active. Follow the advice of the regional disease control office and local vector-borne disease units.

Role of the thermal fogger: Forest edges and rubber plantations have dense vegetation. Fog penetrates resting sites in foliage better than sprays whose droplets settle quickly, so it supports targeted control.

Type 3: Culex, the evening whine from drains and paddies

Identification: Culex mosquitoes are dull brown without striking markings. They are the mosquitoes town residents know best, flying indoors at night and whining by the ear. The common urban species breeds in foul water, drains and wastewater ponds, while another group breeds in rice fields and ground pools.

Diseases: Most Culex are a nuisance, but certain rice-field Culex species are major vectors of Japanese encephalitis (JE), with pigs and some birds as reservoir hosts. Most infections cause no or mild symptoms, but cases with brain involvement can be severe and leave lasting disability. Thailand includes JE vaccine in its childhood immunization program. Some Culex species can also transmit certain forms of filariasis in some areas.

Behavior: Culex feed from dusk into the night, enter homes easily, and some fly far from breeding sites. Females usually lay eggs in floating rafts.

Control: Clear drains so water does not stagnate, manage household and livestock wastewater, keep treatment pond edges free of weeds, use suitable larvicides where water cannot be removed, make sure children receive JE vaccine on schedule, and use window screens and bed nets. Spraying should be done in early evening when Culex become active.

Role of the thermal fogger: Fog reaches deep into drains, ditches and ditch-side shrubs, the main Culex resting sites in communities.

Type 4: Mansonia, the mosquito of water plants and peat swamps

Identification: In Thai entomology, "tiger mosquito" usually refers to the genus Mansonia, whose wings and legs carry speckled scales. Some villagers use the same name for other patterned mosquitoes, so identification should be confirmed by an entomology officer.

What makes it different: Mansonia larvae do not come up to the surface to breathe. Instead, they pierce the roots and stems of water plants such as water lettuce and water hyacinth with their breathing tube to draw air. Because they stay under water, larvicides that act at the surface have limited effect.

Disease: Mansonia are important vectors of some forms of lymphatic filariasis, particularly in swamps and marshes in southern Thailand. Filariasis is caused by parasitic worms living in the lymphatic system. Most infected people have no early symptoms, but over years some develop permanent swelling of the limbs. Thailand's long-running elimination work has greatly reduced cases, but surveillance continues in risk and border areas.

Behavior: Mostly active from dusk into the night and aggressive biters; some bite in shade during the day. They are abundant near water with dense aquatic vegetation.

Control: The key measure is removing water plants that shelter larvae in water bodies near villages, which can be combined with a local government's waterway improvement work. Add bed nets, personal protection outdoors at night, and cooperation with any blood surveys or drug distribution programs run by health authorities. Thermal fogging is a supplementary measure in villages next to water, in the evening when mosquitoes are active, and must never be directed onto the water surface.

The pain of one-size-fits-all mosquito control

• Health: Each disease has its own risk group. Dengue hits children and teenagers in villages, malaria hits forest workers, JE threatens unvaccinated children, and filariasis causes chronic disability. A plan that ignores mosquito type leaves some groups unprotected.
• Budget: Spraying the whole subdistrict at one time uses a lot of chemical, fuel and labor but misses the activity hours and resting sites of several groups, so value is poor.
• Reputation and trust: When mosquitoes are still everywhere after spraying, residents conclude the administration is ineffective, and criticism follows in council and on social media.
• Staff workload: A small team races to every village after complaints instead of planning proactively by risk, and village health volunteers tire of campaigns that miss the mark.
• Complaints: Marsh-side residents call about bites at dusk, but the team sprays mid-morning; villagers bitten by Aedes in the daytime see spraying only at dusk. The mismatch breeds repeated frustration.

Why the usual fixes fail

• Wrong time: Fogging in hot midday sun sends fog upward to disperse quickly while night-biting mosquitoes are still hidden in foliage.
• Wrong place: Spraying only the main road while the real resting sites are back gardens, under houses, drains and the forest edge.
• Relying on spraying alone: Without removing containers, clearing water plants or cleaning drains, a new generation emerges every week.
• Old or non-standard machines: Corroded combustion tubes, hard starting, uneven fog, or cheap units with no spare parts.
• Incorrect chemical use: Wrong mixing rates or products not registered for public health use reduce results and endanger operators.
• No after-sales service: A breakdown mid-outbreak with long repair waits stops disease control work.

The equipment answer: AIROFOG AT35 thermal fogging machine for many terrains

When a local administration faces several mosquito groups in varied terrain, the right tool must be portable, reach resting sites thoroughly, and handle different chemical formulations as recommended by health authorities. The AIROFOG AT35 thermal fogging machine fits this brief well.

The AT35 is a mosquito fogger a local government can use in many situations: spraying around dengue patients' homes, fogging community drains for Culex, supplementary spraying around forest-edge villages on disease control advice, evening work in marsh-side villages, and general insect control in public areas with the appropriate product. World Health Disinfection Co., Ltd. holds ISO and GMP, checks 100% of units before delivery, provides technicians, spare parts and full after-sales service, and its products meet Thai government equipment standards.

Remember: A thermal fogger reduces adult mosquitoes in the short term. It does not treat disease and cannot replace source reduction, bed nets, vaccination or case detection.

Spray timing by mosquito type (sample for local teams)

This is a general example. Adapt it to local data, the disease situation and advice from the district health office or regional disease control office.

10 reasons the AIROFOG AT35 suits local governments facing several mosquito types

1. Penetrating fog reaches shrubs, under-house spaces, drains and forest edges where many groups rest.
2. 100% stainless steel resists rust and humidity in Thailand's tropical climate.
3. Lightweight, so staff and volunteers can fog longer and move easily through plantations and lanes.
4. Water- and oil-based chemicals for flexibility with official advice and site conditions; details on the AIROFOG AT35 product page.
5. Certified in Germany and the UK, supporting quality assessment in procurement.
6. Versatile sites: homes, factories, hospitals and public areas.
7. Ideal for spraying around dengue patients' homes within about 100 meters, a core local government task.
8. Supports night-biter control for Culex, Anopheles and Mansonia in specific areas, on disease control advice.
9. Full after-sales service, technicians, spare parts and training from WHD, which holds ISO and GMP.
10. Meets government equipment standards; compare models at the WHD government equipment hub.

Before and after planning by mosquito type

Procurement tips for a thermal fogger

These are general tips. Always check current procurement regulations and your agency's standard equipment price list.

• Write the project around risk: State which mosquito groups are present, which areas face which diseases, and when the thermal fogger will be used. The council will see the logic.
• Specifications to consider: Body material, weight, supported chemical types, quality certificates, a Thai-language manual and a spare parts list.
• After-sales: Define warranty, response time for breakdowns, and user training.
• Budget lines: The fogger belongs in the equipment investment budget; chemicals, fuel, larvicides and personal protective equipment belong under supplies.
• Training: Ask the supplier to demonstrate starting, mixing, timing for each mosquito group, maintenance and operator safety.
• Record keeping: Use a spray log with date, time, location, target mosquito and chemical used for reporting and plan adjustment.

3 next steps

1. Call 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268 for a quotation and the AIROFOG AT35 specifications, and describe your subdistrict's terrain.
2. Request a demonstration and training so staff and village health volunteers practice timing and locations for each mosquito type.
3. Budget and procure according to regulations, using the specifications and the four-type table in your council proposal.

Example field perspective

(A composite example based on common local public health experience, not a statement by a real person.)

"Once we color-coded the subdistrict map into Aedes villages, marsh-side villages and forest-edge areas, everything became clearer. Dawn rounds focus on dengue patients' homes; early-evening rounds go to marsh-side villages and community drains. A fogger that is light and does not rust keeps our volunteers motivated. The council member who used to ask why we bothered now asks us to spray his village on schedule."

Frequently asked questions

Q: How can I recognize an Anopheles mosquito?
A: Look at its resting posture: Anopheles usually tilt the abdomen up at an angle, while other mosquitoes rest parallel to the surface. Confirmation should come from an entomology officer.

Q: Does thermal fogging prevent dengue by itself?
A: Fogging cuts adult Aedes that may carry the virus for a short time. It must be combined with source reduction under the 3 Keeps campaign for lasting results.

Q: What time should we spray?
A: It depends on the target. For Aedes, dawn or evening; for night biters, early evening. Avoid rain and strong wind.

Q: Can larvicide control Mansonia?
A: Mansonia larvae cling to plant roots under water, so surface-acting larvicides have limited effect. Removing water plants near villages usually works better. Ask the local disease control unit.

Q: How is Japanese encephalitis prevented?
A: Vaccinate children under the national immunization program, reduce evening bites, and manage Culex breeding sites near homes and animal pens.

Q: Thermal fogger or ULV cold fogger?
A: Thermal fog suits vegetation, drains and enclosed nooks; a ULV cold fogger suits indoor work or places where visible smoke is unwanted. Many local governments keep both.

Q: Which chemicals can the AT35 use?
A: Both water-based and oil-based formulations. Use products registered for public health use at label rates.

Know the right mosquito, then spray at the right moment

Talk to the WHD team about a thermal fogging machine for local governments facing several mosquito types in one area.

See AIROFOG AT35 products and prices, click here

Tel 065-556-6294 | LINE @whd268

See all government mosquito control equipment

Related links

• WHD hub: mosquito and insect control equipment for government
• SOLO PORT423 backpack ULV sprayer
• AIROFOG U260 electric ULV sprayer
• Department of Disease Control, Thailand
• WHO fact sheet: Vector-borne diseases
• WHO fact sheet: Dengue and severe dengue

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