The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-07-04
NOVEL SCHE ME
Of DR.. HIRAM
BYRD
Assistant State Health Officer
Tells People How to Get Rid
Of Mosquitoes.

DR.. Hiram Byrd, Assistant State
Health Officer of Florida and a mos
quito expert, has issued a pamphlet
in which he tells of the annoying in
sects. Among other things, DR.. Byrd
says:
How long do mosquitoes liver Is
a question often asked. 1t is not easy
TO answer. for the reason that in con.
finement they may not live thei' al
loted time. And the span OF life IS
probably greater in some species than
others. The stegomyia fasciatus has
been kept alive for five months. So
has the culex. Mr.. Smith thinks that
the average life of our commoner
culices is some three or four weeks
and that anopheles live somewhat
longer It is certain that they live
long enough to reproduce their off
spring, and that they breed fast
enough to maintain the abundance
and that they bite often enough to
transmit disease. And these are, af
ter all, the vital facts.
Reproduce Rapidly.
Mosquitoes, like most other in
sects, and, indeed, most of the lower
organisms, reproduce very rapidly
and would. if unchecked, Overrun the
earth in a very little while But ma
ture provides checks and counter
checks for such rapid multiplication
Whether there are any creatures that
prey upon the eggs or not, 1t is GER
tain that large per cent OF them
never hatch In the larval Or wrig
eler stage they have many enemies
Minnows eat them, the larvae of drag
on flies and beetles eat them. disease
attacks them, fungi get on them and
kill them; they die for lack Of food;
they sometimes eat one another;
they get entangled in the threads OF
spirogyra or under floating leaves and
drown The water dries up before
they are grown and millions of them
perish in this way Finally, when they
are ready to emerge from the pupa
the CASTOR skin serving as boat
for the casting to take place in, fire
quently capsizes and the mosquito
dies at the very threshold OF exist
ence. And those that do hatch sue
cessfully now have to take theil
chances among, the dragon flies, bats
lizards, toads, night hawks and host
of other enemies.
Suppose that some progressive
energetic town desires to get rid o.
mosquitoes, how will it go about it
Manifestly, the first thing to deter
mine what the prevailing species are
and where they breed. The State
Board of Health may lend assistance
here. This determined, it remains tc
control these breeding places. BY fal
the greater number will be found tc
be neglected vessels of water on pri
yate premises, such as tanks, clstcrns
rain barrels. watering troughs, saggins
cutters. Even the water pitcher In
| the spar, room may breed mosquitoes
enough to supply the whole household
Let the council make it the duty OF
every citizen to keep his own prem
ises clear of wrigglers, imposing, il
necessary, a small fine for neglect OF
this duty, in order to make it effec
tive.
."Troughs and pitchers and vessels
that can be emptied once a week neet
that only. Cisterns and tanks can b.
screened so that the mosquitoes can
| get 10 tnem 10 lay tLei eSSS' VI 'no'
can be oiled.
| I'm addition to this, let every house
hold have it's artificial breeding place
"a pail of water set in some shady
place in the yard. Mosquitoes vii
come to it to deposit their eggs, in
stead of going to some place where
they would be difficult to find Or get
at. These traps will catch most o.
the eggs to be deposited about the
place. And as they require about ter
DAYS to come to maternity, the pals
need only be emptied once weel
and refilled."