The BBC reports researchers in Kenya have documented a 94% reduction rate for malarial mosquitos consumed by tilapia, a fish commonly used as a food source in many parts of the world.

The research is the first formal documentation of the ability of tilapia to consume larvae at a signficiant pace. I mentioned the use of tilapia in a church school pond in Uganda last year. After the pond was stocked, the fish reduced mosquitos in the immediate vicinity so that it was virtually mosquito-free. However, there is an obvious limitation. The fish are effective only in the immediate area. In addition, mosquitos breed in standing water and puddles where it is not possible to introduce fish, so their effectiveness is limited to bodies of water suitable for the fish to survive.