The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-09-07
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Egcf since th, l'icuch natural
isi. Rene Rcamef worked out aud
published the lic history u The
germs CulcN or mosquito. ovcf
two hundred years ago. ~ c,omol-
ogisis have known that the lafvH
of these insects could be readily De.
siroycd by covering the surface Of
infested waters with a thin film of
almost any kind Of oil. As the
lave. OF wigglers, as they are
usually called, come 90 the surface
for fresh air they touch the oil aud
this closes their breathing pores
result. death by suiiocaiion. The
oil also prevents the admission Of
AIR TO the water underneath. and
this means death TO other aquatic
insects. as well as frogs, fish. nevis,
aud similar animals. This simple
means Of destroying mosquitoes
aud other aquatic insects has not
becn-neither should il bc-recom-
mended for anything like general
F Use, because agitation Of water is
one Of the best means Of purifca-
ton. and all animal life within il
aids in keeping 1t in motion.
The Larvae OF the many species
Of the mosquito are scavengers.
feeding upon decaying vegetable
and animal matter, thereby purify
ing brakish seaside ponds and
pools. as well as the fresh water
sink holes for inland. aud in
great measure preventing mias-
matte diseases. II we shall destroy
all the aquatic insects, the entire
country would become uninhabit-
able, and yet there are, no doubt,
some men among us who are so
wOefully ignorant of Nature and her
immutable laws that they really
think all such minute creatures were
created for the express purpose OF
annoying mankind and domesticat-
cd animals. One Of these would-be
nauralists recently aired his ignor-
ance by the column in a city daily.
recommending the use Of kerosene
in the ponds Of Long Island for
destroying the lsrva Of the mos
quito, not knowing that this would
also destroy all other aquatic in
sects, aud among them the natural
enemy Of the mosquito, known as
the dragOnhy or mosquito hawk, to
say nothing OF the many
useful water beetles, fish,
frogs and lizards and other
inhabitants Of most large and small
ponds. For many years / have
used kerosene to kill the Larvae
and prevent the breeding Of mos
quitos i'll open barrels, casks, also
cisterns and other vessels about
the place kept for catching and
storing rain water, a few spoonfuls
Of kerosene in each being sufficient,
and this does not in the least injure
the water for washing clothes or
watering plants, and / can certain
Is recommend it for such purposes,
but it should be kept out Of fish
and lily ponds or wherever there is
anything having life worth pre-
serving.
| ANY old cask or barrel left
halt iull or full Of water about a
place will. in a very short time,
breed enough mosquitoes to annoy
the ncighborhood, but spoonful
of kerosene will quickly settle the
pests, and it is better to kill them
in this way than TO pour out the
water, allowing some to escape.
These breeding places are usually
far more numerous in large gardens
than the proprietors or gardeners
would be willing to admit, but
they are nevertheless, usually
found if a careful examination is
made in that direction. If you
have mosquito breeding ponds
near by, fill up, drain or use them
for water lilies and other aquatic
plants. and stock them with fish,
but don't try to smother all kinds
of aquatic insects with kerosene,
and leave a stagnant, miasna-
breeding pool near your residence.
A. S. FULLER.