New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-25
THAT DREADFUL MOSQUITO.
EVERY HoUsEKEEPER- WHETHbH IN
CITY OR COUNTRY. is FIGHTING 1T.
WHAT EMINENT ENroMoLoGIsrs SAT- OF THE
INSECTS HABITS. WITH SUGGESTIONS
FOR ITS DISPOSAL.


FOR IT'S DISPOSAL.
TT seems a long way for scientists to go 10
Sierra Leone 10 hunt the malarial mosquito saio
clubwoman yesterday to a Tribune reporter
when all the world knows might know mat
the fair insect OF blood extracting bill and hlmy
wing may be found at her best just now In the low
meadows along the coast
Mrs Lottie Lewis Of No. 80 seventh-ave.' VINO
now lies I'll with malarial fever at Bellevue will
probably be quite willing 10 give points y"
mosquitoes to any scientific gentleman who may De
sent out by the British Government Mrs. Lewis
went with her husband TO occupy cottage AT Miu-
land Beach but the mosquitoes drove her back 70
the city where she seized with chill "nich
the doctors diagnosed malaria tertian feVer OF
the Staten Island Long Island and New-Jersey
variety This It is cHmed. is the result OF lnocu-
lation by mosquitoes"
while one Is accustomed to think and speak OF
the mosquito II there were but one specieS' INC
entomoloststs claim that in the United states
alone over thirty-one different varieties have Deeh
found and classified. and this without any sPe
ciaist having taken the trouble 10 Thoroughly COL
lect them Three years ago D. ". Coquillet' OF
the National Museum at Washington, borrowed All
OF the mosquitoes from the collections OF Frolesso'
Lawrence Bruner OF the University OF Neorashd'
Professor J. H Comstock Of Cornell; Professor H.
Garnnan Of the agricultural experiment station AT
Lexington Ky: Professor G. p. Gillette agrl-
cultural experiment station, Fort Collins ColoIauo'
Professor c. W. Johnson. Wagner Free institute
Philadelphia; Professor Otto Lugger. agricultural
experiment station St. Anthony Park. Mimi Dr'
W A. Mason. Algonquin. ILL., and Theodore Ter
gande Washington The results OF this STUDY W.
r,ost interesting forming distinct and important
advance on our former knowledge OF these annoy
ing creatures.
As the result OF series OF experiments carried
on in the United States Department OF Agriculture
Y
the adult male mosquito does not necessarily taAo
| blood nourishment and that the adult female does
M, necessarily rely upon the blood or warm
! blooded animals They plant feeders ana ha'o
/ also been recorded as feeding upon Insects C'ie
writer states that he has seen them Win tne'r
/ beaks inserted IN boiled potatoes on the uaoie'
and another that he has seen watermelon I.l.us
| with many mosquitoes settled upon them DUSTY
| engaged in sucking the Juices
| Mosquitoes undoubtedly feed normally on the
! Juices OF plants and not one In mihon eNol
! gets an opportunity 10 taste the blood OF warm
| blooded animal.
when We think" says Mr. Howard 'oi 'ae
! enormous tracts Of marsh land into which warm
| booded animals never penetrate and IN "hlS"
mosquitoes are breeding in countless numbers nc
! truth OF this statement becomes apparent III.
! males have been observed slipping at drops OF
| water and Instances Of fondness for moiasseS
! and beer have been recorded"
REMEDIES.
| or the remedies IN use IN houses says Mr.. How
/ ard the burning Of pyrethrum powder ana inc
catching OF the mosquitoes the walls WIN keio-
sene in cups are probably the best next 70 a
/ thorough screening and mosquito bars anout inc
/ bed. $3.50 .
A remedy In use among the Chinese. which 10
! also recommended consists OF filing long hecheu
| hays q. paper half an inch IN diameter and ten
/ feet long with the following substances; Ether
nine or Juniper sawdust. mixed with smau
quantity OF llu-wang Obrtmstone) and one ounce Oh
/ ersanic These substances are well mixed. and
run into the bags in dry state. Each bag Is
/ coiled ike a snake and wrapped and tied win
thread The outer end Is lighted and the coll lald
/ on a board Two coils are sufficient for an ordi-
nary sized room and 100 coils sell in China for six
cents.
Altogether" continues Mr.. Howard. the most
satisfactory ways OF fighting mosquitoes are those
which result IN the destruction OF the larva or
the abolition OF their breeding places In not every
locality are these measures feasible. but in many
! places there is absolutely necessity for the
/ MOSQUITO annoyance The three main preventive
measures are the draining OF breeding places the
Introduction Of small hsh into fshless breeding
places and the treatment OF such pools with kero-
sene These are three alternatives. any one OF
which will be effcacous. and any one OF which
may be used where there are reasons against the
| trial OF the others"
In 1892 Mr. Howard published the first ac-
I count OF extensive outdoor experiments 70 deter
mine the actual effect upon the mosquitoes Of 4
thin layer of kerosene upon the surface OF water
! in breeding pools and the relative amount 10 De
used He showed the quantity OF kerosene neces-
| sary for a given water surface and demonstrated
| further that not only the larvs and pupe
thereby destroyed almost Immediately, but that
the female mosquitoes are not deferred from at
tempting 10 oviposit upon the surface Of the water
and that they thus destroyed in large num-
bers before their eggs are laid. He also showed
| approximately the length OF time for which one
sqana irss'% %ss claimed for the Suggestion
only for the more or less exact exper la sd
Is spproximafely one ounce to fifteen square feet
| Of water surface. and ordinarily the Application
need not be renewed for one month .,.,-
1t is not. however the great sea marshes along
| the coast. where mosquitoes breed IN countess
| numbers, which can be treated by TINS rhethO ,
but the inland places, where the mosquito supply
is derived from comparatively small swampS ana ana
dure the torment direct their remedies again.
TO Investigate the source OF supply and Apply
! heroic measures there. . .-
feet method Of forming a film OF kerosene will he
! 10 spray the oil the surface Of the water
5eed wnon extended dseusson Natural
ly the draining of OF the water OF pools VIII pre-
sibiity Of such draining and the means by, which
It may be done will vary with each ih h qua
done at virginia Beach bears on this method Be
hind the hotels at THIS place the a2ra fresh water
lake. which with It's adjoining swamps' was a
source OF mosquito supply. and 1t was furtner
feared that II made the neighborhood malarious
Two canals were cut from the lake 10 the ocean,
and by means OF machinery the water OF the laKe
was changed from a body OF fresh water 10 oody
OF salt water Water that Is somewhat brackiSn
VIII support mosquitoes, but water which Is purely
salt WILL destroy them
FISH AS ENEMIES
The introduction OF fish into hshless breeding
places IL another matter. II may be undesirable
10 treat certain breeding places with kerosene, as
for instance water which Is intended for drinking.
although this has been done without harm In tanks
--ha-e "a &c custnrnary the drinking supply Is