Encapsulation – a Convenient Way to Extend the Persistence of the Effect of Eco-Friendly Mosquito Larvicides

Important strategies for combating mosquito vectors include the application of larvicides. However, existing larvicides use the active substances of synthetic insecticides, which are often risky substances for both the environment and human health. Therefore new suitable alternatives have been sought, including the development of botanical larvicides based on plant essential oils (EOs). Although they show excellent larvicidal efficacy, the persistence of this efficacy is often insufficient. Such formulation methods and techniques that would allow for extending the efficacy period of the larvicides have thus been sought. Highly promising methods also include EO encapsulation. This paper summarizes the current knowledge, and it discusses the opportunities and prospects offered by EO encapsulation methods when used for the development of botanical insecticides. Although research in this field has only begun, it was possible to conclude based on existing published papers that encapsulation methods may extend the efficacy period while gradually releasing the active substances of the EOs. These methods also seem to offer excellent prospects for the future direction of the development of new botanical larvicides which are safe for the environment and health.