Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-20

Washington, u. c.. June 10. in al.
most all parts Of the United States the
mosquito season Is at its height, and
everywhere warfare against the mos.
quito Is. or ought to be, going vigorous.
ly forward. Within the last few years
science has elevated the mosquito
from the position of trifiing pest, to
be lightly brushed aside to that OF
mans most dangerous enemy. The
mosquito ia a nuisance at best. At
worst he is also conveyer Of malaria.
yellow fever, flariasis and dengue
fever. II there are no mosquitoes
where you live, you will probably meet
them on your vacation. In any case
you ought to be prepared to defend
yourself. $685.. .s- r..
There are three ways of getting at
the mosquito problem. One Is to kill
the mosquito. Another is to scare him
away or fence him out. The most ef-
fective is to prevent him from being
born. sa.-,1- s.a- I,
However. il you 60 to the country
for your vacation, you will probably
find large number of vigorous. mid
die aged mosquitoes already on the
ground and thirsting for your blood,
SO the preventive measures are out OF
the question. Also you can't kill mos
uuitoes while you are asleep. About
the only thing that remains is to in
augurate q German poison gas cam
paign which will make the approach to
your position impregIable from mos
quito's standpoint. ~..
1t is one of the mosquitoes great
weaknesses that he can not stand
strong odors. Spirits of camphor anu
oil of pennyroyal are two substances
which will give you little or no incon'
venience. but will keep away mosqui.
toes as long as they last. They are
not. however. very durable. A Few
drops of either on your pillow will
keep mosquitoes away for several
hours, but after that you will have to
wake up and sprinkle some more
about. A small bottle Of either of these
substances is an excellent thing to
have with you whenever you 60 into
the enemy's country, however.
Oil of peppermint, lemon juice anu
vinegar all come under the ban of the
fastdious mosquito and may be usel
against him with some effect. Oil OF
citronella is probably more effective
than any Of these, provided You can
stand it yburself. To some persons IT
is uncomfortable, but most Of them vast
Nv prefer it to the mosquito. A very
effec tive anti-mosquito mixture con-
sists of an ounce Of oil OF cltroneiia, an
ounce Of spirits of camphor ana nalt
an ounce of oil of cedar.
Sprinkle some Of this mixture on
towel and hang it over your face Wnen
you 20 to bed and the average mousse
mosquito will never dare to come near
YOU. If the insects are very numerous
and persistent, rub little on your
hands and face. ..s.
When 1t comes to the malar1al mos
quito of the south, the deadly Stegom'
via, these ,"dopes" are not to be relied
upon Nearly any of them will lose
their efficacy in the course OF a long
night, and Stegomyia begins to bite
lust about daylight, when most persons
are sleeping very soundly. BY mixing
one port of oil of citronella with four
parts OF vaseline, you can greatly re-
tard the evaporation of the protective
oil Pure kerosene is more effective
than pleasant, and has been used ex'
tensively in the Philippines.
If you are going into southern
country, where you know the malarial
MOSQUITO exists, the proper precautlon
is to take some sort OF a bar or canopy
DO not think that the screening OF a
house is enough to protect you. There
are sure to be opportunities for the
mosquitoes to slip through, and they
will sometimes deliberately force their
way through screening. II they are
very abundant it is often advisable to
paint the screens with kerosene or OIL
Of citronella. II compelled to 60 about
in regions infested with mosquitoes,
the use of wells and gloves affords the
only safety. ...,.
Every traveller in mosquito ma.
larial country should provide himself
with a bed canopy and should see that
it Is always in perfect repair Often
the carrying of small pocket sewing
kit ia necessary for this purpose. II
Won are going to camp in any tropical
or semi-tropical region. you should pro-
vide yourself with first rate canopy.
TO he reliable, mosquito netting must
have twenty meshes to the square
inch. Fifteen mesh netting Will let
some of them through.
No variety OF mosquito can endure
smoke, and a smudge often is the best
way to get rid of them. especially In
camp. The efficacy of cigar or
strong pipe along this line Is well