Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-02
WAR ON MOSQUITOES
INSECTS BREEDING PLACES
SHOULD BE DESTROYED.
The Petroleum notwithstanding, Fill
ing and Draining-Danger in
stagnant Water.

from harper weekly.
There is difference in mosquitoes, as
there is in men, concerning the places in
which they like best to live. few are
really domestic, in the sense that they live
by preference with man and about his habi-
tations; but many are strictly sylvan and
do not modest him unless he runs deliber-
ately into their way. A very few have
never been known to bite under any provo
cation, while others need no urging what
ever and appear to be literally bloodthrsty.
Most Of them are home bodies. straying
little or not at all from the immediate sur
roundings Of the point where they first
reached the adult stage, while others travel
many miles and supply regions where none
are native. This argues quite variety OF
mosquitoes and, as a matter OF fact, 1t Is
a poor locality that cannot turn out twenty
or more species Of the pest. 1t is the fail
ure to realize this pont-the tendency to
consider that all mosquitoes are alike and
equally pestiferous-that is responsible for
unsatisfactory results among mosquito cru
sades What benefit can be expected from
local work when the dominant mosquito
breeds twenty or more miles away, and
what good does 1t do to Oil ponds and
streams unless we know that mosquitoes
breed in them?
Breed in Stagnant Water.
We may say with certainty that no mos
quito thus far known can develop without
water enough to breed in; but we cannot
say that in all waters mosquitoes will
thrive. In fact. we are now learning that
there are many swamp areas once sup
posed to be prolific producers of the insects,
In which practically none at all develops.
We have also learned that the ugly looking
pools and ponds covered with green duck
weed are always SAFE" because no larva
can exist where 1t cannot freely come to
a ay,d lrr,ax tIak
areas covered by "cat-tails'' are also harm
less from the mosquito standpoint. though
the reasons for this are not yet clear
We have thus narrowed the problem ma
ter1ally, and can say that, in general, mos
quitoes either breed close to the places
where they occur in numbers. or that they
come in like a thief in the night from shore
points.
The Salt Marsh Mosquito.
In the eastern United States there is only
one species-the salt marsh mosquito-of
which it is positively known that it travels
great distances. Any point between twenty
and forty miles from a marshy coast is
liable to invasion by this species. though at
the latter distance their occurrence is only
occasional and their stay usually short In
the highlands at points away from the
coast. and even in cities, towns and vii
lagos near the shore, the presence of any
considerable number of mosquitoes con-
tinuing steadily through the season indi-
ca ties the existence of some local breeding
place; and such breeding places may occur
even in our very houses.
A forgotten bucket of water in the cellar
or just outside will serve to develop hun
dreds; a rain barrel is good for thousands
per week unless securely covered, and any
vessel, even a tin can, in which water re-
mains continuously for more than a week
may serve as source of supply. 1t must
be realized that no pool is too insignificant
to be utilized by female mosquito who
has a batch of eggs to be placed.
To Fight the Pest.
To make any campaign entirely effective,
all breeding places must be dealt with and
for this purpose there is no more effective
destructive agency than kerosene oil of a
low grade. Though the mosquito larva is
strictly aquatic. it depends upon getting its
air supply from above the surface through
short tube at its ana( extremity. II the
surface is coated with kerosene, access to
the air is barred, except at the cost of a
dose of oil, and there Is for the unfortunate
wriggler only a choice of deaths; 1t either
stiles for lack Of air or 1t is poisoned by
the kerosene which gets into its breathing
system. The method Is a good one and
absolutely effective; but the oil is offensive
and the applications must be repeated at
short intervals. A better method there
fore. Is to destroy the breeding places alto
gether, SO as to get permanent result. A
little grading and filing here and there to
get rid of depressions that fill with the
| rains. ditch or two to drain a low place,
and local exemption may often be gained
Water barrels and imperfectly closed els
| terms may be kept quite safe by placing
in them few little fish of almost any
species; gold fish will do, or the little min
nows that may be found in almost every
stream or pond throughout the country,