The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-09-12
A Mosquito Brief.

| LlOu SOClGty IDS lSCClAt1y puOAASAiON e-
brief on the subject Of mosquitoes
which is worth repeating on account
of the practical condensed informa-
| ton given. The card is illustrated
with the various phases Of the gene
ration Of the mosquito as well as of
the common and fever-communicat-
ing species. It safes
1. There are over one hundred
species of mosquitoes in the United
States.
2. Mosquitoes breed only in water.
They may breed in any kind of quiet
water unstocked with destroying
fish.
8. Mosquitoes generally require
from one to three weeks to develop
from eggs to winged insects in warm
weather longer in cold weather.
Some female mosquitoes three days
old lay eggs the average is greater.
Some species lay as many as three
or four hundred eggs at once, some
lay them singly. Mosquitoes may live
several months Gas shown by hiberna-
ton and otherwiseo, but probably
few live over a month.
4. Mosquitoes do not breed in
grass but rank growths Of weeds or
grass may conceal small breeding
puddles, and form a favorite harbor-
ing place for adults. The pitcher
plant holds sufficient water to breed
rare and small species
5. Different species Of mosquitoes
have as well defined habits as diff
ferent kinds of birds, flies, etc. Some
are domestic, some wild, some migra-
tory.
6. Most domestic mosquitoes breed
in fresh water, fly short distances, and
habitually enter houses.
Z. Most migratory mosquitoes
breed in salt and brackish marsh
areas, and fly long distances. They are
not conveyors of, malaria.
8. Rigid tests, both direct and
elinainatiye, have proved that certain
species of mosquitoes are the only
known natural means Of transmitting
malaria and yellow fever. Some
ether diseases are known to be cor
veyed by mosquitoes.
:. OF the domestic varieties, the
dangerous malarial mosquitoes !sev-
eral species of the genus Anopheles)
are among the most generally dis
tributed. They seem never to travel
far, only a few hundred yards.
10. A most common and danger.
Gus domestic mosquito in the South
and the tropics is Stegomyia fasciata,
which is the natural conveyor Of yell
low fever.
II. All msquitoes are known to
bite more than once, as can be seen
by observation and is proved by the
transmission of disease from an in
fected person to new subject.
12 Mosquitoes are needless and
dangerous pest. Their propagation
can be largely prevented by such
methods Of drainage or filing of
wet areas, removal, emptying, or
screening Of water receptacles, spray
ing standing water with Oil where
other remedies are impracticable. At
tention should be paid to cisterns,
house vases, cesspools, road basins,
sewers, watering troughs, roof gut
tiers, old tin cans, holes in trees, mar
shes, swamps, and puddles. AS ma
larial mosquitoes may be bred IN
clear springs the edges Of such places
SHOULD be kept clean, and they should
be stocked with small fish. The
breeding and protection Of insective-
rous birds, such as swallows and
martins, should be encouraged
Thorough screening of houses anu els
terms is necessary to prevent the
spread of malaria or yellow lever. The
continued breeding of any kind of
mosquitoes, with the attendant me-
nance to public health and TO the
life and comfort of man a2d beast.
is therefore the result Of ignorance or
neglect.
rbo oit,- schools will resume work