BACKGROUND: Escalating pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors highlights the urgency of implementing new control tools incorporating non-pyrethroid molecules. Here, using DNA-based metabolic resistance markers, we assessed the efficacy of the dual active ingredients net Royal Guard against pyrethroids-resistant malaria vectors in Cameroon, establishing its long-term impact on mosquitoes' life traits after exposure. RESULTS: Cone assays revealed low efficacy of Royal Guard against field Anopheles populations. However, analysis of the survival curves revealed that unexposed mosquitoes lived longer (11.4 ± 0.4 days) than those exposed to Royal Guard (7.9 ± 0.2 days) (χ CONCLUSION: This study revealed that although pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes have higher ability to survive and live longer after exposure to Royal Guard, this net significantly affects their lifespan, blood-feeding ability and interestingly reduces their fecundity/fertility. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.