KENYA STANDARD  KS 1739 -1:2020  
ICS 59.080 
First  Edition  
  
 © KEBS 2020   
 Specification for Mosquito N ets    
Part 1: 
Untreated nets  
  
  
 
 
KS 1739 -1:2020  
ii © KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
Technical University of Kenya.  
Government Chemist Department  
Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)  
Africa PVC Industries  
Nairobi University Department of Food Science  
Environment Institute of Kenya,  
Moi University Department of Industrial and Textile Engineering  
Tarpo Industries Ltd.,  
Agroz Ltd Arusha  
BUMA Holdings  
One Acre Fund  
Kenyatta University  
A Plus Industries Ltd  
Ministry of Agriculture  
National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB)  
Redblum Industries Ltd  
Government Chemist  
National Public Health Laboratory  
Moi University — Department of industrial and Textile Engineering  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
REVISION  OF KENYA STANDARDS  
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed.  Suggestions for 
improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, are 
welcome.  
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2020  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001 of  the Laws of Kenya, copyright subsists 
in all Kenya Standards a nd except as provided under Section 25 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of Standards 
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing f rom the 
Managing Direct or.  KENYA STANDARD  KS 1739 -1:2020  
ICS 59.080 
Second   Edition  
 
© KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  iii 
    specification for mosquito nets    
Part 1: 
 Untreated nets  
Kenya Bureau of Standards, Popo Road, Off Mombasa Road,  
P.O. Box 54974 - 00200,  Nairobi, Kenya  
 +254 020 6948000, + 254 722202137, + 254 734600471  
 info@kebs.org  
 @KEBS_ke  
 kenya bureau of standards (kebs)  
  
KS 1739 -1:2020  
iv © KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 This Kenya Standard has been prepared by the Technical Committee on Knitted Fabrics and Netting under the 
guidance of the Textile Industry Standards Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Bureau.  
  
 
KS 1739  consists of the following parts, under the general title; Specification for mosquito nets  
KS 1739 -1 Untreated mosquito nets  
KS 1739 -2 Treated mosquito nets which was withdrawn and replaced with KS EAS 455:2019  
 
This Third edition  cancels and rep laces the second edition ( KS 1739 -1:2005 ) which has been technically 
revised.  
 
In the preparation of this standard reference was made to the following documents:  
 
IS 9886 — Indian Standard Mosquito Nets — Specification.  
 
CKS 161 — Specification for Mosquit o nets (single -bed size).  
 
 Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assi stance derived from this  
 KS 1739 -1: 2020  
© KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  v 
  Introduction  
That prevention supersedes  cure in matters of health management, is a fact that cannot be overemphasized. 
Mosquito nets are particularly useful in the prevention of malaria.  
 
Mosquito nets when properly constructed and employed do prevent contact between the mosquito, a vector for 
the malaria -causing pathogen Plasmodium, and a sleeping person. While it may be difficult to monitor how 
individuals use mosquito nets, it is absolutely necessary that the construction of the same meets the basic 
requirements for a high quality net, especi ally if the nets are intended for use in a malaria -prone tropical zone 
which Kenya falls.  Studies carried out around the Lake Victoria basin suggested that the Anopheles mosquito 
is most active between 10.00 p.m. and 4.00 a.m. a time when most people are asleep and therefore most 
vulnerable to the mosquito.  KS 1739 -1: 2020    
 
© KEBS 2020 – All rights reserved   
 Specification for mosquito nets  
 
Part 1:   
 
Untreated nets  
 
1. Scope  
  
This part one of Kenya Standard specifies requirements, test  methods and  sampling for untreated mosquito 
nets.   
2. Normative references  
  
The following referenced documents referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content 
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cit ed applies. For undated 
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies . 
 
3. Terms and definition  
 
For the purpose of this standard, the definitions in KS 08 -1305: Part 11) shall apply along with the following:  
 
3.1 
untreated mosquito net   
a mosquito net that has not been subjected to insecticide treatment  
 
3.2 
suspension mechanism  
the accessories fixed to the top (roof) of a net to provide for means of hanging the net at a clearance from the 
ground  
 
3.3 
top ring    
where included, this is a circular, triangular, rectangular or other shape of thick metallic wire or other suitable 
material tied, or otherwise fixed to the underside of the roof of the net so as to provide the suspended part of 
the net with its  shape  
 
3.4 
sheeting border   
a lace of woven or knitted fabric stitched or integrated around the lower extremity of the net  
 
3.5 
height   
the length of the net, when freely suspended under its own weight, from the top ring to the seam of the sheeting 
border with netting body fabric on its shortest  side 
 
3.½ height   
 
half the length of the dimension on 3.5  
3.7 
                                                      
  
© KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  iii 
  circumference   
the perimeter of the sheeting border at its seam of the sheeting border with netting body fabric  
 
4.  Requirements  
 
4.1 Visual examination   
 
The netting shall be free of defects arising from knitting and workmanship.  
 
4.2 Sheeting border  
 
4.2.1 Where provided, the sheeting border shall have colourfastness rating of 4 or better.  
 
4.2.2 The sheeting border shall have strength parameters that are at least  equivalent to those of the body 
fabric.  
 
4.3 Seams/stitching  
 
4.3.1  When visually examined the seams shall be of even tension and the loose ends shall be securely and 
neatly fastened off.  
 
4.3.2  The nets shall be made with lock stitch. The number of stitches per decimeter shall be 22 to 35 and 
shall be made from suitable sewing thread.  
 
4.4 Fire safety  
 
The fabrics used in the construction of mosquito nets shall not propagate fire when laces of any of the 
component fabrics from it are ignited at one end.  
 
5. Specific req uirements  
5.1 The untreated mosquito net shall meet the physical requirements as specified in Table 1  and 
2 
5.2 The colorfastness requirements of untreated mosquito net shall be as specified in Table 3  
 
Table 1:  Synthetic  netting fabric  
SL 
No. Characteristic  Requirement, min  Test method  
1 Mesh per cm2 23 Annex A  
2 Mass/unit area, 
g/m2 25  KS ISO 3801  
3 Bursting strength 
at   KS 631  
test area of 10 cm³.  
  
iv © KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
  
Table 2:  Round mesh cotton netting  
 
Table 3 Colourfastness requirements for untreated mosquito nets  
 
 
 
5.3 Dimensions  
 
5.3.1 Circular mosquito nets   
 
5.3.1.1  Circular mosquito nets shall comply with the dime nsional requirements of Table 4  
 
Table 4: Circular  mosquito nets  
Size Top ring 
diameter 
cm, min.  Top fabric 
diameter  
(when the ring 
is inside ), min.  Height,cm 
min. Circumference,  
cm at ½ H  
min   Bottom 
Circumference 
cm, min.  
Domed 
shape 
cover 
net - - 50 115 230 
X small  40 33 120 170 300 
Single  47 40 200 350 700 
Double  47 40 200 400 800 
Large  53 46 200 450 900 
 
5.3.2. Rectangular  mosquito nets   
 Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
Mesh per cm2 min 23 Annex A  
 
Mass/unit area, g/m2 min 60 KS ISO 3801  
Bursting strength, kPa,min  100 KS 08 -631 Clause 5.3  
Scouring loss,% Max  10 KS 265  
 
Agency  Numerical rating (min)   
Test method  Change in color  Staining  
Light  5 — KS ISO 105 B02 
 
Washing  4 4 KS ISO 105 -C10   
© KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  v 
  5.3.2.1 Rectangular mosquito nets shall comply with the dime nsional requirements of Table 5  
 
Table 5:  Rectangular mosquito nets  
 
Size Width cm 
min. Length,  CM 
min. Height  CM min.  
X-small  70 120 90 
Single  90  180  180  
Double  150  180  180  
Large  180  180  180  
Double 
decker  Small  90 180 210 
Double  150 180 210 
large  180 180 210 
 
6 Marking  
 
The following information shall be indelibly marked on the cloth label securely stitched at the top corner : 
 
i) manufacturer’s name and/or registered trade mark;  
 
ii) size of the net, including, overall length (cm) x overall width (cm) x overall height (cm) or 
circumference;  
 
iii) shape of net;  
 
iv) care instructions;  
 
v) recommended bed size.  
 
7 Packaging  
7.1  Outside packaging  
The following information shall be legibly and indelibly marked on the outside packaging of individual 
nets:  
 
 
i) manufacturer’s name and/or registered trade mark;   
vi © KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
  
ii) size of the net, including, overall length (cm) x overal l width (cm) x overall height (cm) or 
circumference;  
 
iii) shape of net;  
 
iv) care instructions;  
 
vi) recommended bed size.  
vii) Country of manufacture  
 
  
 
8 Sampling  
 
7.1 Lot   
 
The quantity of mosquito nets delivered to a consignee against the same despatch note shall constitute a lot.  
 
7.2  Sampling sha ll be in accordance with Table 6 . The acceptance quality level (AQL) shall not exceed  
2.5 %.  
 
 
 
Table 6  — Sampling  
 
Number of units (n) 
in the lot  Number of 
units selected  Method of 
selection  
 
1 to 5  
6 to 99  
100 to 399  
400 to more   
All 
5 
na)/20 
20  
All 
at random  
at random  
at random  
a)  In deciding the number of units to be selected, any      
remainder of less than 20 units shall be ignored.  
 
 
 
7.3 The nets selected shall be intact and in good external condition.  
 
8 Packing  
 
The mosquito nets shall be packed in visible, water -resistant packaging material to protect them from soiling 
while permitting visual examination.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
© KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  vii 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex A  
(normative)  
 
Determination of the number of meshes per cm2 
 
 
A.1 Test specimen  
 
Samples shall be taken from a netting fabric roll and shall measure at least 1 m2. 
 
A.2  Conditions for testing  
 
Test shall be conducted in ambient conditions.  
 
A.3 Apparatus  
 
Pick (magnifying) glass.  
 
A.4 Procedure  
 
A.4.1  Lay the test sample on a smooth table and mark out 10 positions evenly spaced out on the sample’s 
surface.  
 
A.4.2  Place the pick glass on each of the 10 positions and in such a manner as to have one edge of the 
glass form a tangent to a row of meshes either on the base r or bias of the fabric.  
 
A.4.3  Count the number of meshes seen through the pick glass lens for each of the 10 positions.  
 
A.5 Calculation  
 
A.5.1  Average number pf meshes = total number of meshes   
viii © KEBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 10 
 
A.5.2  Average number of meshes/cm2 = Average meshes seen through the pick glass  Area under 
observation.  
 
 
=       Average number of meshes  
2.5 x 2.5  
 
 
 
=           Average number of meshes  
6.25