Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-15
Mosquito Plague In Northwest
Iowa Becoming a Matter Of
Serious Moment
I've STOCK is SUFFERING
Hungry Hordes of Insects Operating
Day and Night Make Life Miserable
for the Farmers, Who Are Compelled
to Wear Bonnets While Working in
the Field.
Special to T1mes-Republican.

Sioux City, June 15.-1n swarns like
the plague of locusts that devastated
Egypt. mosquitoes by the million
have descended upon Woodbury. coun-
ty.
So serious has become the attack
Of the long billed pests that inquiries
are being made of physicians for some
means of exterminating them.
Not content with carrying OH their
ravages at night, the hungry blood
suckers are going on their expeditions
by day as well, and the unfortunates
who live in low-lying places are at
their wits end to escape the tortures.
Near SaliX and Sloan, 1t is reported
today, a strange sight is TO be seen.
In order to protect their faces from
the pests that follow them In sWarms,
the farmers are wearing sunbonnets,
wrapped around with mosquito net
ting.
Rain is Responsible.
Explanation of the great number of
mosquitoes is to be found In the rainy
weather of the last three years. The
entire west third OF Woodbury. county
has been transferred into a breeding
place for mosquitoes and, the demand
for sustenance exceeding the food sup
ply. they are ravenous for the blood of
man or beast.
Visitors to the farms in the lowlands
about Salix yesterday bring back re-
markable stories of hordes of mosqui-
toes.
Farmers down there have found IL
necessary to keep the stock up ard feel
it even during the day because of the
worry of mosquitoes" said q visitor
from here. Driven to seek blood at
any and all times because of the hordes
of their kind, the pests are verturing
forth In the light of the bright sun.
contrary to their nature and are biting
twenty-four hours of the day. Little
colts and calves turned out to Craze
will switch and fight for an hour or SO,
and then give up and come running
back to the barnyards where there IS
nothing to eat, but where the lack Of
vegetation does not favor the presence
of the torturers. Mich COWS can
scarcely stand in the meadows, and
during the early evening hours, the
farmers risk their lives in milking the
cows
And while the farmers are losing
thru the extra expense OF feed
ing and the loss in weight OF their
livestock, camping parties and pic
nickers are cutting their outings short
and moving back to town where tight
ly barred houses afford protection.
Sioux City shoe dealers and sellers
of open work hosiery are declaring that
the mosquito pest has become no SER
ious as to effect the sale of oxfords
ana peek-in stockings. The same is
true of lace for Jokes in summer
gowns.
Ordinary smoke and smudge NJ, long
er deter the bloodsuckers. The lux
ury of hammocks and best girls at
Riverside is seriously handicapped by
fighting. Young men smoke
furiousIy to keep them away, but of
no avail.
When 1t is known that every rain
barrel and every little puddle which re-
tains water for three weeks becomes
the breeding place for hordes of mos
quitoes, and, with the knowledge of
water, water everywhere for the past
three seasons, the enormous increase N
the bloodsuckers is easily explained.