Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-12
WiggIers Also Incubated in
Pools on Flat Roofs.
HEALTH INSPECTORS VIEW
Mosquitoes Propagated Where Least
Suspected.
WATER LEFT IN RAIN SP0UTS
Other Places Than, Sewer Traps
Where the Larvae Of the Summer
Pest Find Favorable Conditions.

There is another place beside the sew
ers where mosquitoes breed in Washing
ton in summer" an inspector of the
health Office said today. THAT is In the
rain cutters and depressions of the house
roofs.'
The inspector was discussing the article
Howard of the Department of Agriculture
pointed out how the back yard sewer
traps of Washington houses, especially
of vacant houses. acted breeding
places for mosquitoes during the dry
spells in summer when apparently there
were no wet places for the mosquito wig
glers to develop.
Fertile 1ncubators.
II know said he. that the sewer
traps are fertile incubators for wigglers
MY work takes me all over the city and
I have found otherwise carefully tended
houses where the areas were alive with
mosquitoes from the sewer traps. In the
house with the area entrance" he con-
tinued. you nearly always find small
perforated sewer trap in the brick or
cement floor for drainage. When the
rain comes down 1T has to have some
place to run off, and there Is small
trap put there for that purpose
II have been to lots of houses. some Of
which were closed for the summer and
some of which were not, and in some of
them this areaway was whitewashed for
appearances and for sanitary purposes.
That in itself, was enough to show that
the tenants were people who liked to keep
their house looking neat and clean But
I'm some of these areas newly white
washed I have seen the walls fairly black
with mosquitoes that came from the
water that stood in the small sewer trap.
There is no doubt that it makes good
breeding place, and the suggestion that it
be treated to q cupful of coal oil every
two weeks is a good one
Breeding in Roof Cutters.
But there is another place that is even
better as a breeding place for wigglers,
| though fortunately il usually does not
| last so long. That is in the rain gut
ters Sometimes these cutters are not
given enough slant when the house is
built to carry off all the water. Oftener
| in old houses one or more tin straps will
| be .oosened from the gutter and ii will
sag in the middle. Water will stand there
sometimes several inches deep and Just
| a little shower occasionally vii. be enough
to keep the supply from evaporating.
| Sometimes. too. the drain spout will be
choked with leaves and this will back up
| a nice little piece OF water where the
wigglers can thrive.
Pools on Flat Roofs.
There is also what they call in the
| trade a valley gutter. which is a part of
the roof. and where the water runs down
inside. and there is no pipe showing a,
| the corner This is oftener badly built
| than the outside gutter, and there is usu-
ally water in some part of IL | have tSee,,
| plenty OF nearly fiat roofs. too where
/ there were depressions in which there
/ was water nearly all summer
| "Of course, it will mean more work for
| me and the rest of us inspectors II we
have to hunt out mosquito breeding places
/ on the roofs. but since ] have known
about the breeding methods of mosquitoes
| realize that ii you are going to clean Vi