Mosquito repellents, roll-ons & patches see hike in demand

PUNE: Mosquito repellent products seem to be flying off the shelves at medical shops, supermarkets and local stores with garbage mounds and stagnant water at numerous spots in the city leading to an increase in mosquitoes as well as cases of dengue and chikungunya.
Store owners said the demand for mosquito repellents, nets and swat racquets have increased by 20-25% this year.
"I feel there are more mosquitoes this year than last. Just look at all the garbage in various areas; it has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. We have placed mosquito repellent coils in different corners of the house and near windows to ensure that mosquitoes stay out," Kusum Sharma, a resident of Kondhwa, said.
Citizens also said that construction work in many parts of the city are resulting in an increase in the mosquito menace.
A sales executive at a leading supermarket chain in the city said, "The demand for mosquito-repellent products has become quite high this season. We are restocking with at least 50-60 products every two days and we expect sales to go up further as monsoon progresses."
Manufacturers are offering repellents products in smaller packs or mini versions to make them more affordable for the masses.
"We are seeing an increase in demand for mosquito repellent products. We will have to wait till the end of the season to understand if the growth is more than last year. A large part of our business is from urban markets, but with the launch of smaller packs of Goodknight and Hit Aerosol we expect an uptick in smaller cities and even rural areas," said Ashwin Moorthy, CMO (India), Godrej Consumer Products - which controls more than half of the market in the liquid vaporisers and household insecticides space.
While some housing societies in the city have started fumigating their complexes every evening, others have circulated messages urging residents to take precautions. "We try to keep net windows closed after sunset. We have started applying Odomos roll-on as a precautionary measure and we also purchased a mosquito racquet," Priyanka Ramchandani, an art director and resident of Baner, said.
People with toddlers at home are trying to use natural alternatives to keep mosquitoes away. "I use a diffuser with citronella oil indoors and, when I'm out, I protect my son with natural roll-ons or clothing stickers available. I often light up citronella sticks in my balcony," Ankita Nandkeolyar, who runs her own branding and digital marketing agency, said.
Mukesh Chaudhary, who runs Mukesh Chemist and Super Mart at NIBM road, said residents in the area have been getting a lot of mosquito repellent products delivered to their homes and he's already seen a 10% increase in sales of Goodknight liquid, Odomos and repellent sprays this year.