The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-05-25
STOP TORTURE
BY MOSQUITOES
Advice For Defense Against
Their Attacks.
PAMPHLET BY Or. HOWARD,

Oil Of citroneIla and Liquid Vaseline
Suggested -Ponds Should Be Stock
ed With Fish and Pools Of Standing
Water Eliminated.
Any community that wants mosqui-
toes can have them, and a community
that does not want them need not
This is the gist Of pamphlet that
has just been issued by the depart
ment of agriculture. It is the work of
DR.. L. O. Howard, chief Of the bureau
Of entomology, who has devoted
large part of an Industrious career to
making the housefy and the mosquito
unhappy.
The pamphlet is designed to help the
war against mosquitoes and deals with
the problems that arise in both city
and country communities. One section
is devoted to the personal defense Of
the sufferer against mosquitoes. There
are a number Of lotions a few drops
Of which on the face or the pillow will
discourage mosquitoes Oil of citronel-
la is the basis Of the most Of these, as
its odor is not unpleasant to most peo-
pie. There are some, however, who
object to it so much that they would
rather have the mosquitoes.
To Discourage Mosquitoes.
One of the combinations that is rec
commended for protection against mos
quitoes is an ounce each Of oil of citro-
nella and spirits of camphor and half
an ounce of oil of cedar. The trouble
with this, as with many other citronel-
la compounds, is that the smell, which
is the thing that drives off the mos
quitoes, does not last all night and the
disease bearing mosquitoes, such as
the yellow fever and the malaria bear
ing mosquitoes, get busiest about day.
light.
For those who object to the odor of
citronella the department recommends
an ounce each Of castor oil, alcohol
and oil of lavender. This does not
evaporate quickly and is said to be q
good protection. The most lasting ap-
plication is said to be an ounce of oil
of citronella and four ounces of liquid
vaseline.
Concerning screens and canopies the
pamphlet says that twenty meshes to
the inch are fine enough to keep out
all mosquitoes, but that nothing coars-
er is safe. It is very hard to keep
n OF 1v1+1 lob
and one recommendation to aid the de-
tense is to paint them lightly with Oil
of citronella or kerosene
Destroy Breeding Places.
DR.. Howard says that, whatever the
virtue of these measures may be for
Immediate defense, the best thing to
clear neighborhood of mosquitoes is
to destroy their breeding places. TAX
en- as rule, mosquitoes will breed in
water. 1t is safe to assume, therefore,
that If place is carefully drained and
water that cannot be removed is
screened the mosquito cannot breed,
and there will be no pest.
1t has been found that old wells,
rain barrels, chicken yard drinking
pans and ornamental fountains give
the mosquitoes just the breeding places
they want.
Rain water barrels should always be
screened when they cannot be done
away with, and there should be care
full search made for tin cans, old bot
ties or anything else that will hold a
few spoonfuls Of water after a rain,
for so long as the water lasts a week
it will give a generation of mosquitoes
time to breed.
Another place that is a prolific source
of mosquito breeding, both around
town and country houses, is the rain
cutters. These often sag so that there
is little water left in the depressions
after a rain or the run-off is choked
with leaves and twigs, giving the mos
Quitoes the element they want.
In places where there are fountains
and ornamental ponds that cannot be
screened or treated with oil fish are
the best protection against mosquitoes
Goldfish and 'top minnows' eat the
mosquito wigglers with avidity, but
care has to be taken that there is no
fat leaved vegetation that will harbor
the wigglers and protect them from
the fish at the same time.