The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-09-23
WHY HAVE MOSQUITOES ABOUT
THE PLACE?

These fine summer nights 1t Is curl
Gus how visitors in search of health
full environment will sit out slapping
mosquitoes or hurry indoors to es-
cape them, yet never grow even
slightly sarcastic about calling the
place a health resort. It is our funny
education. Few Of our educated"
citizens know why or how mosquitoes
breed or how to suppress the nui-
sance. Even that droll Yankee char
acter, the village health officer, who
owes his position to politics, has only
vague notions. II any, about the
method Of Kidding the community Of
the mosquito nuisance.
It is pretty widely recognized now
that the presence Of flies in place
where food Is served stamps the place
as dangerously unsanitary. No mat
ter If the so-called health Of sanitary
authorities plaster the walls with per-
mits, licenses. certificates Of "inspec-
tion." the wise customer will discover
he has mislaid his appetite or has got
to run to catch train If the flies get
around to him with the waiter. In
spite Of the ok. Of the politicians OF
the health department, the presence
Of flies is a sure index Of uncieanli-
ness on the premises or close enough
to constitute a menace to the health
Of any one who eats there.
So far as we know, the common
rain-barrel or tomato can mosquito is
not an agent in the spread Of disease.
Only the comparatively rare Ano-
pheles distinguished from the COM
mon Culex by Its appearance of al
most standing on its head when it
alights) carries malaria, and the
Stegomyia distinguished by its black
color marked with silvery bands) car
ries yellow fever. Our common rain
barrel or tomato can breed, the Culex,
carries merely ill-temper, irritability
and an unhealthful distaste for ram
bles through field, swamp, woods and
berry patch.
Mosquitoes do not 60 far from their
breeding place In quest Of food
Therefore their presence Is q sure in
dex of open stagnant water some
where on or close to the premises. It
may be only as much water as will
stand in an old tomato can thrown
back OF the garage or in the deep
grass or weeds in the lot at the rear.
1t may be ciStern or little pool
that Is not stocked with minnows to
eat the wiggletails (mosquito larvae).
It may be an obstructed rain spout
somewhere about the roof. Or an UNI
screened bucket Of water anywhere.
It may even be foot track or wheel
rut in muddy spot. Anywhere that
water can stand q week or 10 days
will do to grow 'skeeters. The female
deposits her eggs on the water; the
eggs hatch into larvae C'wiggletails'')
In day or two. After q week the
wiggletails are transformed into pu.
pae which lie quietly at the surface
Of the water, and after two or three
more days the adult winged mosque
toes emerge from the pupae through
a rent In their covering.
Draining or emptying al standing
water, and spraying with oil (kero-
sa,ae, crude oil, old librlcating oil
any standing water that can't be
drained, or screening .cisterns, wells
or barrels or troughs that hold water,
will control the nuisance. Il . pool
or fountain or little pond or brook
can't be kept covered with thin oil
film Ito smother the wisgletails),
keep 1t we'll stocked with miunows