Dengue larvae hunt, Dhaka
Going house to house in one neighbourhood, emptying the water in flower pots, tyres, coconut shells and on roofs.
- 0/8 people
- About 4 hours
- 10
- points
About this task
Dhaka is the country’s biggest centre of dengue; building sites and roof gardens breed the most Aedes. Aedes mosquitoes breed in clean standing water: flower pot trays, old tyres, coconut shells, roof corners, water on building sites. The team splits into pairs and, with the residents’ consent, goes house to house emptying and turning these over, and asks each home to check once a week.
Why it matters
Dengue is now a yearly danger in Bangladesh; 2023 saw a record number of deaths. More effective than spraying is leaving nowhere for the mosquito to breed, and only the people of each home can do that.
What changes after
Standing water emptied in a hundred homes; a list of where larvae were found most; every home knows what to check weekly.
Who can join
Anyone; with one local resident in each pair, doors open more easily.
Step by step
0 of 3 steps doneHow to do it, in order.About 4 hours across all steps
- 1
Divide the area and tell the residents
Pairs, each with a few lanes. Announce the day before by mosque mike or WhatsApp group.
45 minলিফলেট
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 2
Look for standing water, house by house
With consent: pots, trays, tyres, drums, roofs, building sites. Empty and turn over.
150 minগ্লাভস, টর্চ
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 3
List and leaflet
Count the spots with larvae; leave a leaflet on checking once a week.
45 minখাতা
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet
What you need
- Gloves · জনপ্রতি ১ জোড়া
- Torches · ৪টি
- Leaflets · ৩০০টি
When it counts as done
- At least a hundred homes checked
- A list of how many spots were emptied
Proof required
- Photo
- Document
Safety
Never enter a home without consent. Take care on roofs.
The full guide
What it takes, and how to do it
Never done this before? No matter. The cost, the timeline, who does what, whom to speak to, the day hour by hour, the risks and ready words to send are all here.
- About
- ৳2,200–4,600
- People
- 8
- Time in all
- 4 hours
- Age
- 14 or older
Best timeMay to November, before and through the monsoon; most useful two or three days after rain. 8 to 11 in the morning, when light is good and people are home.
PermissionEach household's consent; let the ward councillor or union council know.
What it costs
Prices differ by district and season; this is a 2026 estimate. Keep receipts and put them in the proof.
| What | How much | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Rubber gloves8 pairsWhere: Grocery or hardware shop | 8 pairs | ৳60–120 |
| Rechargeable torches4Where: Electronics shop | 4 | ৳150–350 |
| Leaflets (A5, one colour)300Where: Press or photocopy shop | 300 | ৳2–4 |
| Notebook and pens (tally sheet)1 setWhere: Stationery shop | 1 set | ৳80–150 |
| Rubbish sacks (for tyres, shells, containers)20Where: Grocery shop | 20 | ৳5–10 |
| Water and light snacksFor 8Where: Grocery shop | For 8 | ৳40–80 |
| Total (about) | ৳2,200–4,600 | |
Getting ready, step by step
7 days before
- Draw a rough map of the neighbourhood; split the lanes among four pairs.
- Try to put one local resident in each pair.
- Tell the ward councillor or union council; mention public spots and drains separately.
3 days before
- Print the leaflet: where water collects, what to check one day a week, what to do with a fever.
- Buy gloves, torches and sacks.
The day before
- Announce on the mosque mike or the neighbourhood WhatsApp group.
- Show the team pictures of larvae: tiny dark thread-like wrigglers in water.
On the day
- Introduce yourselves at the door, ask consent, and look with the resident.
- Empty and turn over containers; rubbish into sacks only with the resident's say-so.
- Note homes visited, spots emptied, and spots with larvae.
The week after
- Return to the five homes with most larvae to see if the habit stuck.
- Give the list of building sites and public spots to the ward or union office.
Who does what
Lead1
Splits the area, announces, talks to the ward office, adds up at the end.
House-to-house pairs6
With consent, check pots, trays, tyres, drums, roofs; empty water; hand out leaflets.
Tally keeper1
Puts each pair's counts into one book and keeps the photos.
Whom to speak to first
Ward councillor's office or union council
- Why
- Drains, public spaces and spraying are their work; the larvae list helps them.
- How
- Tell them in writing beforehand; afterwards hand in the list and take a received copy.
Upazila health complex or nearest government hospital
- Why
- To print correctly where dengue tests are done.
- How
- Visit and ask where and when tests are done.
Mosque or temple committee and house-owners' association
- Why
- People listen to them; it helps doors open.
- How
- Ask them to announce it the day before.
The day, hour by hour
- 08:00Team gathers; gloves, torches, leaflets, notebooks handed out; larvae pictures shown.
- 08:30Pairs start house to house in their own lanes.
- 10:00Roofs, building sites, garages and tyre shops.
- 11:00Water and a rest; the lead checks on each pair.
- 11:15Finish the remaining homes; sacks to the proper rubbish point.
- 12:15Everyone back; counts added up, photos picked.
- 12:45List and photos to the task page; print a list for the ward office.
How to take the proof
- A container with water before, and emptied and turned over after; not residents' faces.
- A photo of the tally page: homes visited, spots with water, spots with larvae.
- One photo of the team at work, with leaflets in hand.
- The ward or union office's received copy, if any.
Common first-time mistakes
- Looking only at drains and rubbish heaps; Aedes breeds in clean standing water such as pot trays, fridge trays and coconut shells.
- Doing it all without the residents; if the household does not see it, water will collect again next week.
- Spraying insecticide ourselves; that is the authority's job, not ours.
- Not keeping a count; later nobody knows where the problem is worst.
What can go wrong, and what to do
A fall from a roof or water tank.
Keep off unrailed roof edges; climb a tank only with someone from the house, or ask the owner to look.
Someone will not open the door or let you in.
Do not push; hand over a leaflet on what to check, and note “not visited”.
A team member, or someone in a home, has a fever.
Advise a test rather than self-medicating; only paracetamol for fever, no other painkiller without a doctor. Advice: Shasthya Batayon 16263. With belly pain, vomiting, bleeding or great weakness, go to hospital at once.
Cuts from broken glass or sharp tin.
Wear gloves; for a cut, wash with clean water and press, and go to a clinic if deep.
Ready words to send
Copy, fill the [brackets], send.
Announcement for the neighbourhood (WhatsApp/Facebook)
To stay safe from dengue, from 8 am on [date] volunteers will go house to house in [neighbourhood] to find and empty standing water. They will come in only with your consent and look with you. Please check pot trays, old tyres, coconut shells, roof corners and the tray under the fridge beforehand. To volunteer, send a request on the task page on Desher Kaj or tell [lead's name]. No money is taken.
Letter to the ward or union office
To [Ward councillor / Chairman], [ward no. / union name], [upazila/city] Subject: Notice of a dengue larvae hunt and request for action at public spots. Sir/Madam, We are [team name], a volunteer team on the Desher Kaj platform. On [date], with residents' consent, we emptied standing water house to house in [neighbourhood]. [number] homes were checked and larvae were found at [number] spots. We request action at the open spaces, drains and building sites with standing water in the attached list. Yours sincerely, [name], lead, [team name] Date: [date] Attached: list of spots
After it is done
- Remind the WhatsApp group of one “empty the water” day each week, such as Friday.
- In the monsoon, do a short round of the same area monthly and compare counts.
- Two weeks later, ask what came of the list given to the ward or union office.
Questions people ask
What if someone has a fever?
In dengue season, test rather than self-medicate; no painkiller other than paracetamol without a doctor. Call Shasthya Batayon on 16263 for advice.
What do larvae look like?
Tiny dark thread-like wrigglers that dive when light falls on them.
Can I join if I cannot stay the whole time?
Yes. Say in your request which step or which hours you can do. The lead will give that step to you.