The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-08-07

covery Is Brand New-Manner of
the Insects Destruction Involves
Use of Petroleum, as In the Case of
other Varieties.
Professor John n. Smith, the New
Jersey state entomologist, recently
made this announcement, says dis
patch from Trenton to the New York
Herald: "It will be a satisfaction to
know that / have worked out the life
history of the salt marsh mosquito
completely. l know just how 1t breeds
and Just where 1t breeds now, and the
knowledge is brand new. The work
was completed only day or two ago"
The results of the professors investi-
cations are given by him in detail. The
salt marsh mosquito has certain well
defined peculiarities that distinguish
Il from all other species and that make
IL easy to study its habits. Ii is the
most numerous and annoying OF all
the mosquito pests in the state of New
Jersey because il abounds at the sea-
coast resorts at time when its pes
tiferous attentions are most undesira-
Bile.
Ii Is almost certain, Professor 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 i'm the present year
failed to disclose a single specimen,
while malarial and house mosquitoes
iwere found in some numbers. He did
not find the insect until the spring was
well advanced.
1t is almost equally certain that they
do not winter in 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 singly or in
groups on grain or sedge or even on
the ground When the water becomes
sufficiently warm, the wrigglers hatch,
land the seasons breeding is started.
Areas that are regularly covered 10y or
binary 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
Acontain fish or fiddler crabs.
1t will be news to many that the fid-
ldler crab is one of the most destructive
Ienemies of the mosquito. 1t may be
Iput down as a general rule, says Pro
Ifessor Smith, subject perhaps to ex-
'ceptions, that where fiddler crabs live
mosquito larvae do not.
"Depresslons at the beginning of the
upland, covered only by winter or
storm tides, leaving pools that last for
weeks and are reiiled by rains, are
ideal breeding places" he says.
l"Draws, drains or bitches that fill at
tides and do not drain clean are bound
to become filed with wrigglers. Any
depression In a salt marsh area not
connected with the tide that at any
time holds rainwater for a week viii.
breed mosquitoes"
There are hundreds. perhaps thou
sands, of such pools, ponds, bitches
aud depressions along the Jersey coast
Speaking of the breeding capacity OF
the mosquito in these places, the pro
fessor says: IL have found pools SC
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 n common occurrence. This
means over 1000 in an area of one
square foot, and II needs an area OF
less than 100 square feet-a pool rough
ly 10 by 10 feet-to produce 1,000,00C
j mosquitoes at one Matching"
The remedies the professor recon
mends are to ill In such breeding
places wherever 1t is practicable. Thii
is the most effective and lasting RENE
dy. 1t has been tried with great sue
cess at Seaside Park and partially a
Mantoloken and Bay Head. Where
filling in is not practicable he advises
that the tidal aow be introduced b!
ditching or that the pool be drained o
that petroleum be used. As to this las
named remedy he says; 'In such case
pail of fuel oil, kerosene or crude pc
troleum and broom are needed. Dil
the broom into the oil pail, shake tn
oil over the pool and then sweep owe
the surface thoroughly so as TO ge
into the grass and along the banks
that every part of the pool may get ii
oil coating and the water itself be stir
red with it. In less than an hour ever.
larva and pupa will be dead and tn
pool will remain safe until the film
or draining operations can be com
pleted."