Milford chronicle., 1936-05-22
Mosquito Control Commission
Completes 213 Years Of Work

from the field by the pests while. un-
| picked. ripe tomatoes passed their
prime and were lost During 1884,
the first year of mosquito control
they reported that there had not been
enough mosquitoes in the tomato
fields to even bother the pickers.
Bumper hay crops were reported
nthe areas ditched during the pre-
ViOus years. and IN some instances
marsh owners reI,Orted as much as
4O%o increase over previous years.
Areas that in former years produced
little or no hay, due to scalding and
stagnatiOn of surface water, yielded
reavily with the draining away OF
the standing water At the inception
OF the program hay marsh owners
strenuOusly objected to the ditching,
and many refused to give their per-
mission in the belief that the ebb and
flow Of salt water would kill the hay.
and that the bitches would interfere
with the passage Of the "haymg
implements and wagons. Those now
enjoying the benefits accruing from
the ditching state. however. that the
bitches not only do not interfere
with moving and raking, but that
due to the greater firmness OF the
marshes. they are frequently able
to drive auto trucks thereon and
load the hay directly on them.
Civic Identification has been pro-
NOTED in towns near the marshes,
notably Lewes. RehObOth. Bethany
Beach. Milton. and Milford. where
bOgs and stagnant ponds were clean
ed or drained. The workers are
careful, however, in no instance to
harm any area that furnished shell
ter or breeding grounds for wild
fowl.
Actually. according to Ira n. Ga
brielsOn. director of Region No. l.
Biological Survey. U. S. d. A.. who
is considered one of the cOuntry's
leading experts on migratory wild
fowl. the mosquito control ditching
has not been harmful to wild ducks,
geese, and muskrats. Owners of
duck and muskrat marshes state that
food grasses for these fowls and rod
ents are growing in the ditched
llld IbllE3 III Adl ElEaAEA AAOAhoAOAA
than before the installation of the
bitches. Certain owners of muskrat
marshes. after 10 years of keeping
accurate statistics. reported that
catches have increased by 2419o and
the number of houses built by 1869,
since mosquito control bitches were
installed twenty-five months ago.
While in certain eastern sections
of Delaware. the majority of the
mosquito population" is drawn
from tine salt marshes. other parts
of the state are mainly pestered by
types breeding in fresh water-par-
ticularly by the culex pipiens, or
house mosquito. which frequently is
found in clOgged rain cutters. un-
attended bird baths, abandoned flow
er containers in graveyards. sewer
catch basins, and similar places.
Since the work of the CCC Camps is
to be devoted to ditching.
and not to cleanup work in the vari-
GUS towns, and since the Mosquito
Control Commission does not have
the legal right To enforce the elm
inatiOn of such privately owned
mosquito incubators," efforts have
been made to get the several town
councils to pass ordinances making
il unlawful to wilfully maintain a
breeding nuisance. Several
towns in the state have willingly
passed the model ordinance suggest
ed by the commission. and thereby
any property holder who continues
10 maintain a mosquito breeding
nuisance after having been warned !
by the town health authorities or the I
control inspectors, may
find the work done for him by the (
town. at his expense, plus a fine for (
maintaining a public nuis-
lnee.
By way of educating the public to I
eliminate the house mosquito from I
homes. exhibits have been placed at |
iremen's carnicals. county fairs, /
.eachers' conventions, and carried by
.Fuck to schools. The exhibit ex-
plains the work as done in the field. /
ind with pictures and talks makes /
.lear to the students the manner in /
which marsh mosquitoes are control !
ed without harming the marshes for [
aither wild life or hay culture. A /
arge drawing. size 2I6 by feet is
ised to explain the mosquito, his
labits. and the markings of the vari-
,us breeds. An electric trap. such
IS is used throughout the state to
make scientific census" of the mos
luito population" is shown to the
and its working explained.
ards detailing the Ten Command
nents Of House Mosquito Control"
ire distributed. along with a pamph-