Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-05
$4,000 SPENT TO RID
SHORE OF MOSQUITOE
HAS LITTLE EFFECT
Commission Says Pests Have
Deserted the Oil-soaked
Marshes for Boardwalk,
but They Have Not In
creased.

SlCdoCus
PLEASANTV1LLE. n. j.. Oct 5.-Now
that cooler weather-foe to the pests
is here, the dreaded New Jersey mosquito
suffered by residents and visitors to the
seashore and nearby mainland towns are
seen to be decreasing rapidly in num-
bers and but for so many warm days
during September no doubt the few re-
naming on the mainland would by this
time have passed in for the season.
Naturally, residents breath relief at the
passing OF another, one of the worst.
mosquito seasons of the seashore and
visitors from Philadelphia, New York
and other cities welcome their return
from the seashore, II only to be rid of the
pests
On account of the unusually large num-
bers of mosquitoes on the mainland and
meadows, some OF which also braved the
ocean breezes some weeks OF the past
summer. to the annoyance of Boardwalk
strollers in Atlantic City, the vehement
declarations Of old county folks that
mosquitoes we're never so bad as the
present year, and the Increased protest
of visitors that they never suffered from
them so badly in previous summers as
the past one. Very promising assurances
toward determination of the pests event.
ually are, however. again made by the
Mosquito Exterminating Committee rep
resentatives, though some of the farmers
hold the statements UP to ridicule, and
claim vigorously that there never will
come the time that the pests will be
eliminated while there is air here for
them to breathe in
COMMISSION SPENDS 5000.
Since January of this year the local
mosquito commission has spent a sum
or 5000 in the drainage of meadows
through ditch irrigation and the applica-
ton to breeding places of the mosquito
OF an oil prepared to kill the mosquitoes
and eggs. This sum brings the total for
the couple of years campaign against
the mosquito to date to about $4,000 in
expeditures. Five thousand dollars more
is now needed for this winters work
and efforts will be made to secure this
amount of appropriation from the State.
Answering the first question. "Why are
there so many more thousands of mos
quitoes this season on the mainland and
in Atlantic City than in past years" the
replied: There are no
more mosquitoes, but the reason there
appears to the people to be more is that
the mosquitoes are driven from the mead
ows. their breeding places, by the bitches
-.
then why there was little evidence Of
the committees work and expeditures
made with reference to the still large |
numbers of mosquitoes the representa-
tive replied that the mosquito laid eggs
In the fall that hatch in the following |
spring. Work by the commission had |
not gone ahead sufficiently to kill the |
eggs laid last fall, which brought forth |
this years population OF the mosquito, |
he said, but there would be an oticeaGle |
decrease of them in the coming season |
due to the extensive dtchinE and oilng |
of the breeding places this summer. The |
eggs will not hatch except in stagnant |
the eggs will be killed this fall by the |
moving water in bitches.
TWO CLASSES OF PESTS.
There are two classe Of pests, one the |
marsh and salt water mosquito and the !
other the treSh water. One DTeeuS ana |
lives in the meadow and the second |
breeds n water barrels, cess pools and !
other receptacles containing water 1t is |
for the elimination OF the first that the |
ditching and oiling Is being done and for |
the second agents are canvassing towns
on the mainland enforcing the elimina-
tion of arrels and other receptacles hold
Ing water that would breed that variety |
The general impression Is that the mos
do not and are either blown to the land |
or migrate there after Matching. They |
can travel from 80 TO 45 miles and this
would explain the annoyance this year
further inland, The salt water mosquito
after burying its eggs In the mud in fall
dies as cold weather approaches.
While the representative claims there
will not be one-tenth the mosquitoes no.
dceable next year as were In evidence
this year because of the commissions ef-
forts so far toward the killing of the
eggs and spelling of the Matching places,
far more laughlingly claim that the
bitches Will only aid In breeding them
Some OF the optimistic residents are in /
sympathy with the commission and are
wishing II success, while visitors now in
their home cities nursing the red topped
bumps laugh al the pests in
ability OF reaching them IN their own /
towns in the winter, and arc wishing the
all kinds OF luck in antici-
patton OF their next years visit To the