The times., 1901-06-02
War AGAINST MOSQUITOES
Means by Which the Pest May Be
EXterminated.

cuIture-kcrosene Oil Effective
! when Cast Upon the waters.
DR.. L. o. Howard. Chief of the Division
| of Entomology of the Agricultural De-
! partment, has been the principal insti-
! gator of a movement in sections of Long
/ Island, New York. New Jersey, and Vir-
! ginia looking toward the extinction of the
mosquito AS the result of paper writ
ten by him year ago, certain towns and
clubs have united, to apply the remedies
DR.. Howard has suggested. The result
has in every case been successful, and
localities previously almost uninhabitable
have since been made delightful to live in.
LAS a result of the enforcement of
measures determined upon,'' said DR..
! Howard, I'VE hope to attain the practical
! extinction of mosquitoes. The health of
the community will be improved in conse-
| quence. Real estate values will rise and
! ground in the vicinity of New York now
! practically worthless, will become splen-
| did sites for homes.
THE measures for eradication of mos
! quitoes are simple. Mosquitoes breed in
marshes, which should be drained, If pos
| sible, and if rot, should be well kerosened.
| The larvae are destroyed by the use of
! the oil. An association has been formed
on the north coast of Long Island the
avowed purpose of which is to extermi-
| nate mosquitoes, the area covered includ-
ing Oyster Bay Cold Springs, and other
points Centre Island, the site of the club
| house of the Sewanhaka Yacht Club, has
| been badly infested with mosquitoes. The
| club has decided to destroy the pest. An
| expert has located the breeding places,
and these will be drained.
"Other points, which it is impracticable
| to DRAIN Will be sprinkled with kerosene
| / have been invited to go to South Orange
N j., to consult with the authorities there
| in relation to the determination of mos
quitoes Summit, n. j., and Richmond
Hill, Long Island, are taking considerable
/ interest in the matter, and also eXpecs to
do their share toward the determination
| of mosquitoes The geologist of the State
of New jersey has made map OF the
Hackensack Meadows, portions of which
are within the jurisdiction OF Jersey CITY,
| Newark, and Elizabeth. l understand
these cities are taking measures Tor dram
ing the swamp lands. These lands When
drained viii be valuable for truck farm
ing purposes, and as sites for factories.
ard incidentally the disease spreading
mosquito will be deprived OF another
breeding place.
There is no doubt that at any place
where mosquitoes exist they can be wiped
out If only money is available for the
purpose. OF course it is much easier
problem in some places than in others
There is a thorough campaign in progress
in Winchester, Va. An ordinance was
passed last year providing for the drain
ing and kerosening of swamp lands and
other places where mosquitoes breed, but
it contained no penalty clause. In those
sections where the ordinance WAS observ-
ed beneficial results followed. So satisfied
are the authorities that the pest can be
destroyed that this year they have en-
acted a new ordinance containing PEN
atty provision, requiring the draining or
lands where mosquitoes breed, or, in case
that is impossible, the use of Kerosene.
1T has been found in Cuba that the
mosquito disseminates yellow fever. In
the United States they inoculate people
with malariaI diseases. The authorities
are kerosening places which cannot be
drained in Cuba, and mosquito bars are
used in all barracks in the island.
THE State of New Jersey has an un-
enviable reputation in connection with
mosquitoes. While it is undoubtedly true
that mosquitoes are very abundant in
most parts of the State, that fact does
not prove that in the greater part of the
State there are any more breeding spaces,
or that mosquitoes are any more prolific
in New Jersey than elsewhere. 1t does,
however, seem that there is constant mi
grafton inland from marshy seacoast of
very many mosquitoes, not due solely to
wind or that they fly any great distance"
Railroads are, Dr.. Howard believes, re-
sponsible to a great degree for the ap
pearance of mosquitoes in parts of the
STATE not favorable otherwise to the
breeding OF mosquitoes In quantities such
as would account for the number OF the
pests, which frequent these localities. He
says: There are various means of con-
veyance, and of these, railway trains
seem to be the most important All
through the summer evenings many trains
are started inland from Weehawken Ho-
hoken. Jersey CITY South Amboy, Long
Branch, Atlantic City. Ocean City. and
Cape May y. j. Many of the cars con-
in Nv he hn In
way unlimited quantities of mosquitoes
are carried unlimited distances. and,
emerging from the cars, will start to
breed even in localities where mosquitoes
are ordinarily rare, or would be rare, un-
der ordinary circumstances In this way
even mountain resorts Will get their sup
ply of lowland mosquitoes, and with the
improvement of railway service and the
increase in number of through cars the
danger is constantly increasing"
DR. Howard refers to an instance in the
Catskfll Mountains, in New York. where
the infestation of previously uninfested
place could have been brought about in
no other way than this. Through parlor
and through baggage cars now run from
Jersey City and Weehawken into the
heart of the Catskills and through trains
from Boston into the White Mountains.
in the same way through cars run from
Baltimore into the Blue Ridge, and thus
a constant source of supply may be- and
undoubtedly is, kept up, declares DR..
Howard The doctor continues:
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in the water
of stagnant pools and marshes. They are
laid In masses similar TO frogs eggs. In
number they may range from 200 to 400.
AS seen from above, the egg mass is grey
brown; from below silver white. the lat
ter appearance due to the airy film. 1t
seems impossible TO wet these egg
masses. They may be pushed under wa
ter. but come up apparently as dry as
ever. The egg mass separates rather reg
ularly. and the eggs are not stuck to-
gether very firmly. After they have
hatched the mass will disintegrate in
few days, even in perfectly still water.
Repeated observations show that the
eggs hatch. under advantageous condi-
tions. certainly as soon as sixteen hours.
Water buckets containing no egg masses.
placed out at night were found to contain
egg masses at o'clock in the morning.
which were probably laid in the early
morning before daylight The young mos
quito, or larva, escapes from the egg
from its under end. or the bottom of the
egg, that is immersed in the water. 1t
has a big head, with numerous bristles
constant motion and assist the larva in
moving about and in directing food to its
mouth.
AS rule the larva, which is an air
breathing insect keeps it's head out of
the water. 1t is very active in its move
ments and is the 'wiggle children know
of in the family rain barrel at the back
part of the house. They remain in the
larval state about seven DAYS ana theh
enter the pupal stage of their existence,
which is q stage halfway between the
Iarva and the fully developed mosquito.
The insect remains in this stage two days
and then becomes mosquito in fact. the
individuals emerging on the first day are
inva ariabIy males on the second day the
great ma tDrity are males. The prepon-
derance of males continue to hold Tor
three days: later the females are in the
maiority There are about $50 known va
Of which