The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-03-14
When to Oil Ponds to
Eradicate Mosquitoes
By Rev. A. S. c. Smythe. ID. ID.

mosquito breeding and also 10 prevent
being bitten BY mosquitoes. Mosqui-
toes live IN the vicinity ia which they
breed. They 90 not often hy . long
distance They breed only In water
usually IN artificial collections ~ fresh
water The younk mosquito called a
wigEier. lives IN water AZ least seven
g. twelve days, but although they live
In water they must frequently come 20
the surface % the water 60 breathe.
Kerosene Oh on the surface Of the
water Viii prevent their breathing.
therefore AL standing water which
cannot be drained ought To De- SO
| treated. A very small quantity Of
of viii be sufficient 20 destroy the
young mosquitoes. say, one ounce %
eli. over Afteen square feet 81 surface.
distributed evenly over all the sur.
face Of the water The oil does not
AFFECT the water for domestic use IL the
water is drawn from below the sur
! face. ID Is clear then. for the proven.
I ton If malaria, that al drains. bitches.
pools. and other places where water
stands. which cannot Sc allied or
/ drained. should be treated with kero-
4 sene Destroy the breeding places and
I you win destroy the mosquitoes: des-
Z troy the mosquitoes snd YOU viii des-
troy the malaria
/ Here q work which brings into
I Hay the ideals 81 unity, because sue
I cess in the destruction ~ the mos
/ q0ltoes depends upon the cooperation
/ of the members ~ the entire commune
I ity Here Is where careful co-opera-
/ tiun with the efforts II the Civic
/ league means \ healthy community.
a few years ago some very inter-
esting articles appeared in Florida
/ Health Notes - the state Board Of
Heaith which are worth repeating
/ Among other good thing they said.
IT, the casual observer all mosqai-
i toes look alike. but more intimate
acquaintance reveals some very strtk-
+ ina differences both la structure and
f hahits Some are beautifully marked
+ with white o. yellow stripes and bands
some with purple and scarlet. while
some are the more somhre hues some
have long slender legs. others short
and stout SEINE DO not bite ~ alt
Some bite chiefly 81 night some chief
BY IN the day Some breed only IN
fresh water others only in salt or
BfAthAeM wafer some are MtaAFMAaHNr
others are not. Some transmit one
kind - disease. others another. while
yet others are innocent altogether Just
how many kinds Of mosquitoes there
are in the world nobody knows. Sew
erai years ago r Y. Theobald. who Is
one II the greatest living authorities
on mosquitoes, stated the number of
species Will not stop short 81 a thous-
and. IN the state ~ Florida we have
about thirty known species. Mos
uuitoes pass through four stages ~
development eKgs. iarva, image. and
fnlgrown. ~ whatever way the eEns
may be laid. they hatch only la water
the wisEler and papa Gass their entire
existence la water. leaving 81 only
when tho Image energies from the
pupa skin. Though the wlggler lives
ia water be "a a true air breather. the
breathing tube being near the end 81
his tail When az rest he floats a. the
surface head downward. his breath
ing tube thrust out 81 the water II
disturbed he quickly darts downward
but soon returns @ breathe again.
Frequently ne NAV be seen feedin9
az the surface. and actively turning his
head and body this way and that. but
always with his breathing tube thrust
into the air. he - a very voracious
eater. and when food Is scarce re viii
!. turn csunihal and eat other wigglera
The papa looks something like the
mosquito with his head, wings. thorax
and legs all IN q bag. With the change
az state his habits also change. lie
, doesn't grow any more. neither does
ne eat His breathing is changed %
, that nov Il - through two little trslm-
, pet shaped tubes that grow oat from
, the thurax HIS body seems 20 have
|, become lighter liz quietly floats al
the surface. except when disturbed
, At the end n the pupa stage he bursts
his skin on the back % the thorax and
out comes the full grown mosquito.
. During the Matching which takes
, place Ia the water. the papa skin
. serves a. a boat 20 keep the emerging
mosquito from drowning n he passes
| this milestone safely. ne unf0lds his
! legs. rests BIZ, spreads hls wins
, and flies away. Hence the Importance
. nf destroying the embryo mosquito
! while Ia the water and not trusting q
. catching him on the wing later on.
! Any one taking even the sIighfesl
notice Of nature objects must have
observed with some decree u earnestly
, and not q little annoyance larxs