Studies on The Use of Bioactive Materials in Molluscan Traps For The Control OF Schistosome Host Snails

Abstract

As an aid to the control o f the schistosome host snails, effective bioactive materials namely cassava, cocoyam, and sweet potato (Domeh, 1998), sugarcane and peels, all in their raw and processed states were tested in simulated natural environment experiments. The experiments were conducted using ‘biopots’ traps designed using a pot with few small windows created on the sides to allow easy diffusion o f test materials to reach the water body to attract the snails It was observed that the materials retained their effectiveness for both Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi snails in the following order: cocoyam (1 day fermented) > sweet potato (7 days fermented) > cassava (7 days fermented) > cassava (1 day fermented) > sweet potato (1 day fermented) The effectiveness of one o f the top attractants for the snails (i.e. sugarcane) was found to be unaffected by the addition o f small quantities o f the toxicant bayluscide (< 100 ^.1, 300(j.l, 500|o.l, and 700|j.l o f 0.6ppm bayluscide per 6.495gm o f sugarcane) when tested under laboratory conditions. Higher quantities, however, reduced the attractant effects o f the bioactive material. Similar findings were obtained when the tests were conducted under field conditions (i.e. < 1,424.5(4.1, 4,274.5^1, 7,124.5j4l 0.6ppm bayluscide per 92.579gm o f sugarcane (an attractant) with bayluscide (a toxicant) in the newly developed ‘biopots traps’. The duration of the traps is a factor to be considered. The details o f the experiments leading to these discoveries and the results are presented in this thesis.