Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-30
By Rene Bache.
TOW far can a mosquito fly?

r TOW far can a mosquito fly?
1t is mighty important question,
and until now nobody has been able
to answer it.
The answer is that certain species OF
mosquitoes are able to fly forty miles on a
calm day. II helped by wind, they may fiy
$50 miles
1t is long way to go for bite. but the
"skeet" is hungry insect.
Recent Investigations have proved that
two. species OF Jersey mosquitoes-one OF
them the famous "gallinipper," with striped
legs-have migratory habit. Breeding ex-
clusivey in the salt marshes along the
coast. they fly inland thirty or even forty
miles. seeking blood
They can accomplish this flight by mere
strength Of wing, though an easterly breeze
will accelerate their travel Thus the pop.
ulations of many inland cities and towns
are in the Summer time assailed by swarms
OF seashore mosquitoes, so numerous as far
to outnumber all species locally produced.
This is very discouraging. The local
production Of mosquitoes may be checked
by ditching and draining, or by other
means; but how Is it possible to deal with
ravenous focks that come from afar?
Just to find out how far mosquitoes can
ny, or migrate with the aid of favoring
winds, Professor S. C. Ball. of the
Massachusetts Agricultural College, re-
Gently spent month at the Rcbecca Shoal
Light Station, which stands out in the
ocean on small bank that is a submerged
part of the Florida Reef 1t is a wooden
house, squatting like a huge spider over
the water, the legs Of the spider being
represented by an iron framework bolted
into the rock.
Beneath the house is IL feet OF water
The nearest land is the Dry Tortugas,
twelve miles due west Key West is
forty-eight miles to the east. The nearest
point on the mainland of Florida is Cape
Sable, los miles northeast. Cuba is
nlnety-hve miles distant, on the south
Between Rebecca Shoal and Key West
several keys of the Florida Reef inter-
vene or these the largest and nearest
are the Marquesas group, twenty.four
miles to the east, and largely covered
with mangrove swamps. which breed
mosquitoes by millions
Professor Ball made business OF catch
ing and counting the mosquitoes that ar
rived at the light station. He got most Of
them with hand net When the wind
view HUM the WeSL lie could reckon uDOn
few. which came presumably from the
Dry Tortugas. When it blew from the
east there were sure to be some, most
likely from the Marquesas
But it was the winds that blew hard
and continuously from the north or south
that brought the insects in focks. 1t was
obvious that under such conditions they
could not come from the east or west. and
so 1t was manifest that they must have
been blown across from the coast OF
Florida in the one case and from Cuba in
the other.
Whenever ,ong wind blew from the
south mosquitoe, in large numbers began
to appear at the light station ten hours
later. The distan, from the Cuban coast
being ninety-fve lilies, they must have
travelled about ten miles an hour When it
blew hard and continuously from due
north considerably more time elapsed be-
fore the advance guard of the inevitable
fiocks arrived. Why? Probably because
they came all the way from Tampa $50
miles up the west coast of Florida, that
point being directly north Of Rebecca
Ehna1