The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-09-22
WHY HAVE MOSQUITOES ABOUT
THE PLACE?

These fine summer nights it 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 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
ewes 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 a 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 sure index of uncieanli-
ness on the premises or close enough
to constitute 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 1t
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 go far from their
breeding place in quest Of food
Therefore their presence Is a sure In.
dex of open stagnant water some.
where on or close to the premises. II
may be only as much water as will
staQd In an old tomato can thrown
back Of the garage or In the deer
grass or weeds in the lot at the rear
It may be . cistern or q little poo
that is not stocked with minnows K
eat the wiggletails mosquito larvae)
It may be an INSTRUCTED rain spout
somewhere about the roof. Or an un.
screened bucket of water anywhere
It may even be q foot track or whee
rut in q muddy spot. Anywhere tina
water can stand . week or 10 day
will do to grow 'skeeters. The femal,
deposits her eggs on the water: thu
eggs hatch into larvae ("wiggletails"
In day or two. After q week tn,
wiggletails are transformed into pu
pae which lie quietly at the surfac,
Of the water, and after two or threl
more days the adult winged mosqui.
toes emerge from the pupae through
q rent in their covering.
Draining or emptying all staudinl
water, and spraying with oil Ckero-
sene, crude oil, old lubricating oil
any standing water that can't b
drained, Or screening cisterns, welll
or barrels Or troughs that hold water
will control the nuisance. II ! poo
or fountain or little pond or brool
can't Be kept covered with q thin oil
film Ito smother the wiggletails)
keep It well stocked with miunowl