The coastland times., 1956-07-27
MOSQUITO CONTROL
AND WHY 1T AMT
WORKING IN DARE
Seems That Too Many Cooks
Spoil the Broth. Especially
When Broth is Thin

There has been lot of talk
about lack Of mosquito control in
Dare County. AS we have long
since gathered, there isn't enough
money, nor the right equipment
available, and now we learn the
winds and weather have not been
suitable for the use of the present
inadequate equipment which costs
$50 per hour to operate. There has
been disappointment because we
read where Federal funds have
been approved in certain amounts;
but the money has, not been made
available. It's like telling your wife
she can have a new car, and not
providing the money.
At our request, Mr.. Robert K.
Gum, the District Sanitarian and
Biologist who covers Dare County,
has outlined in detail, the problems
and the handicaps which surround
the mosquito control effort in
Dare County. Here is Mr.. Gums
article:
To The Editor:
"The time has now come, to SUBJ
NIT an explanation to the residents
of Dare County regarding activi-
ties connected with the local tenn
porary Mosquito Control Program.
'There has been a great deal of
recent publicity regarding funds
for a Mosquito Control program.
A greater part of this publicity
refers to Federal grant of $1O,-
900, which was to be Dare County's
share of funds awarded North
Carolina for emergency mosquito
control operations. Although Dare
County appropriately applied for
these funds in June, as yet, the
Federal Civil Defense Authority
has not released any of this money,
which is so desperately needed in
order to invest in different types
of equipment more adapted to our
physical and climatical character
istics of this area.
"Last fall the Federal Civil De-
fense Authority made available
$40, 100000 for emergency mosquito
control adulticiding work, and the
county was able to acquire two
jeeps and two dynafog machines.
Also under a supplement applica-
tion we were permitted to order
an additional and much needed
piece of equipment called Buff
falo Turbine Misting and busting
machine. After this piece of equip
ment was brought to us, the gov
ernment disapproved this supple
mental application-and hence the
machine is still stored here, but
there is no money to purchase it
and place it in operation. However,
there are hopes that if the Civil
Defense Authority ever makes
available the much Haunted and
advertised $10,0OO-we will be able
to acquire this badly needed equip
ment.
"In January of this year l at
tempted to organize a temporary
mosquito control district-through
the cooperation of several interest
ed groups-each of which owned
specific types of equipment. At
that time there was little available
county funds-however, there were
adequate materials left from the
previous fall operations and my
drivers agreed to go ahead and
work until funds were available
to pay them. However, this would
have involved a practically gratis
use of equipment owned by the
other groups; and unfortunately
no satisfactory decision could be
reached to solve that particular
obstacle. And actually this was a
most critical period, because it was
in anticipation of the very prob
lens and mosquito hordes with
which we are now faced.
"As most of US know, the first
line Of attack against the salt
marsh mosquito, is adequate and
sensible drainage of known breed
ing grounds. This would then be
supplemented by proper larviciding
end adusticiding operations. How
ever, until adequate funds are
available, we have no choice but
to follow somewhat futile course
of attacks through adulticiding or
Jogging with the equipment and
personnel on hand.
"This brings us to our greatest
problem and biggest source of
public misunderstanding and criti-
cism. Personally, j am firm be-
lever in criticism as healthy
sign Of public interest. However,
criticism based on emotions, misiu-
formation or general malice can
be as bad and unnecessarily dam
aging as it can be good. Hence, this
attempt to simplify an extremely
complex subject for the public in
formation.
"The Dynafog thermogenerators,
which the county used with some
y