Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-11-13
SOME MOSQUITO HISTORY.
EntOm 0lOgist Of New jersey Disc0v.
ers Difference between the Sea
and Land Insects.

Prof. John B. Smith, the state en-
tomologist, lately made this announce-
ment: "It will be satisfaction to
know that have. worked out the life
history of the salt marsh mosquito
completely. know just how it breeds
and just where it breeds now, and the
knowledge is brand new. The work
was completed only day or two
ago.
The results of the professors in
vcstigation, reports the New York
Herald, are given by him in detail. The
salt marsh mosquito has certain WELL
defined peculiarities that distinguish
it from all other species, and that make
it easy to study it's habits. 1t is the
most numerous and annoying of all
the mosquito pests in this state, be-
cause it abounds. at the seacoast re-
sorts at time when it's pestiferous
attentions are most undesirable.
It is almost certain, Prof. Smith
says, that the adult salt marsh mos
quito does not winter in the adult
stage, because the most careful search
along shore very early in the present
year failed to disclose a single speci-
men, while malarial and house NOS
quitoes were found in some numbers.
He did not find the insect until the
spring was we'll advanced. u
It is almost equally certain that they
do not winterin the larva stage, be-
cause no wrigglers were found when
the winter had just ended, but were
discovered in great numbers and of
very small size in late, March and
early April. The professor concludes
that the winter is passed in the egg
stage, and that the eggs are laid sim
ely or in groups on grain or sedge, or
even on the ground. When the water
becomes sufficiently warm the wrig-
glers hatch, and the seasons breeding
is started. Areas that are regularly
covered by ordinary tides are not
breeding places for these mosquitoes,
nor are ponds or pools covered only
at full tides, if they are six inches or
more in depth and contain fish or fid-
dler crabs.
It will be news to many that the
fiddler crab is one of the most de-
structive enemies of the mosquitoes.
It may be put down as general rule,
says Prof. Smith, subject perhaps, to
exceptions, that where fiddler crabs
live mosquito larvae do not. |
'Depressions at the beginning of the
upland, covered only by winter or
storm tides, leaving pools that st for
weeks and are refilled by rains, are
ideal breeding places, he says. "Draws,
drains or bitches that fill at tides and
do not drain clear are bound to be-,
come filled with wrigglers. Any de-
preston in salt marsh area not con-
nected with the tide that at any time
holds rain water for a week will breed
mosquitoes"
There are hundreds, perhaps thou
sands, of such pools, ponds, bitches and
depressions along the Jersey coast.
Speaking of the breeding capacity
of the mosquito in these places, the
professor says: II have found pools so
crowded that an estimate of 100 wrig-
glers to an area of one square inch
was scarcely equal to the fact. Half
that number is common occurrence.
This means over 1000 in an area Of
one square foot, and it needs an area
of less than $50 square feet-a pool
roughly 10 by IS feet--to produce H.
100000 mosquitoes at one hatching."
The remedies the professor recon-
mend are to fill in such breeding
places wherever it is practicable. This
is the most effective and lasting rem