The Washington herald., 1920-05-02
Ganbusia, Pet
Fish, Whale at
Eating "Skeets "
Little Minnow is Backyard
Champion Mosquito
Chaser.

Have you a little top minnow in
the pond behind your house?
This little fish is the very latest
thing in mosquito control.
He goes for immature MOSQUITOES
floating on the water faster than
Kipling's little mongoose went for
Indian snakes.
The time-honored enmity of dog
for cat fades to a pale shadow be-
side this hostility OF fish for
"skeet"
AS a mosquito chaser. Mr.. Min
now is indorsed by the United
States Public Health Service and
the Bureau of Fisheries after care
full studies.
"Skeets- Breed in washington.
Thousands more of these little
minnows seem to be needed down
on the fats, where the debris and
low floating plants hide the young
mosquito wigglers from the fish.
say the officials.
The dump here is a paradise for
"skeet" breeding. In this part of
the city the "skeets" drill through
clothing like a rivetting machine
goes through steel Among them
are malarial mosquitoes. whose
name begins with A. and each is
an animated. hypodermic syringe,
loaded to inject malaria poison in
to people.
The way to tell the malarial
"skeet" is that on a wall she rests
in a straight line, frequently stand
ing on her head. Other brands of
"skeets" rest "humped-up."
The "skeet" eggs float on the
water and in a few days hatch into
larvae or wigg1etails. Still in the
water. these turn into "tumblers."
which turn into live "skeets" and
fly away.
Movement Means Death.
The little fish's trade name is
Gambusia.
"Gam-boo" seeks his food right
at the surface of the pond, where
the immature mosquito wrigglers
are floating.
Fish instinct is matched against
"skeet" instinct. The wriggler may
drift motionless among the fish,
who fail to discover it Is food.
They may even flip 1t carelessly
with their snout. But the slightest
movement of the wriggler will
mean his sudden death.
II the fish is not too near, the
wiggletail will dash toward pro-
lection at remarkable speed. He
will quickly place himself over an
object slightly under water, where
the fish cannot see him. F1cnting
masses of plants are great hiding
places.
ns ~
the Bureau of Fisheries, in cleaning
up the belt of ponds around Camp
Hancock, Augusta, found the top
minnows his most eficient ally.
Where the pond is fairly open, he
says. the top minnow eliminates the
mosquito wrigglers in about two
weeks.
100 In Largest Brood.
Where grass along the shore hid
the wiggle-tails, 1t was cut away
and q large school Of top minnows
followed almost under the tools of
the workmen, devouring the imma-
ture mosquitoes as quickly as their
hiding places were upturned.
Little lady "Gam-boo" doesn't lay
eggs, but gives birth shortly to we'll
developed and very active young fry.
The largest known brood was 100.
Though only one-half inch long,
these youngsters are most precoei-
Gus. Before a day old they have
been observed to eat even medium
sized mosquito larvae.
Their mother 10 handicapped by
habits of cannibal,. oftentimes eat
ing her own young nearly as rapidly
as they are born.
The mosquito season Is at hand.
Cutting down the brush and high
weeds near the house will Kill many
'skeets" with the sun. Familiar
screens and bars may prevent bites.
But the real remedy Is to destroy
their watery breeding places, by
draining, filling in, oiling or fouling,