Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1912 — MOSQUITO NUISANCE AND SOME REMEDIES [ARTICLE]

MOSQUITO NUISANCE AND SOME REMEDIES

Since the discovery that mosquitoes are not only nuisances, but afe also conveyors of malaria, yellow fever ahd other diseases, a great deal of remedial work has been done by individuals and communities, many remedies and plans of action having been tested on a large scale. Mosquitoes breed in all sorts of places where is to be found the least standing water. In pools, springs, marshy land, rain barrels, water tanks, old wells, fountains and ornamental ponds and every conceivable place. The writer knows of one instance where a veritable, plague of mosquitoes was traced to a case of empty beer bottles allowed to remain in a hack yard for some weeks in midsummer. Search carefully tor au such places and either abolish the standing water by carting ? way chance receptacles, by turning over vessels, by filling in excavations, or by treating other receptacles with a film of kerosene, or by introducing fish into fountains and artificial ponds. The tommon goldfish and silver fish destroy mosquito larvae and should be placed in park lakes and ponds. Drainage of all swampy or low areas needs no argument. This is a very important consideration in the treatment of breeding places of tnos~ quitoes. While it Is obviously best to abolish breeding places in the ways mentioned, it often happens that it is not possible to drain, and at least ap a temporary expedient it becomes desirable to treat the water so as to kill the mosquito larvae. Many substances have been tried, and, aside from cergi ven such good results as the use of oils. Efforts to find oils that can be used to better advantage than petroteum have failed. Common kerosene of low grade, or of the grade known is fuel oil, is the most satisfactory as regards efficiency and price. ~- In choosing the grade of oil two factors are to be considered: First, it should spread rapidly; second, it should not evaporate too quickly.' The heavier grades of oil will hot spread readily over the surface of the water but will cling together in spots ind the coating will be unnecessarily thick. The rapidity of spread of the Sim is also important. As to quantity, ander still conditions, an ounce of kerosene to 15 square feet of surface ipace is about the right proportion, ind in the absence of wind such a Sim will remain persistent for 10 days >r slightly longer. Even after the lrilescent scum apparently disappears .’.here is still an, odor of kerosene about the water. In a wind the film of lene Is frequently blown to one Bide, »ut with a change Will go back again, jo that larvae are destroyed. Not only ire larvae and pupae destroyed by the ■ kerosene film, but many adult mosluitoes alighting 6n the surface' of die water to drink or to lay their eggs , ire killed by it A common spray pump is very useful In applying the oil. Small ponds ;an be Sprinkled out of ah ordinary watering pot with a rose nozzle, or for that matter pouring it out of a dipper >r cup will be satisfactory, to larger ponds, pumps with a straight nozzle nay be used. A straight stream,will link and then rise and spread until the Whole surface of the pond can be lowered without waste. The English workers in Africa advise mopping the kerosene upon the surface bf the water by means of cloths tied to the rad of a long stick and saturated with teroseue. I •• ’ 3 , Many large cities are planning acdve campaigns against the mosquito peat, some on a very large scale- The ward of health of East St. Louis, 111., las recently directed tbe/heatth comnissioner to pour crude Oil on the waters of Pittsburg lake, Chhokla creek, ind all other streams and creeks near Cast St. Louis, with the hope that the mosquitoes will be exterminated. This s a long stride to the right direction. In Panama a larviclde ia being used which is madq as follows: 150 gallons of carbolic apld is heqted in a tank to. a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, then 150 pounds of powlered or finely broken, resin is poured in. The mixture is kept at a temper? iture of 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Thirty pounds of caustic soda is then added utd the solution is kept at the same temperature until a perfectly dark smulsion without sediment Is formed. The mixture is thoroughly stirred from the time the resin is used until the end. One part of this emulsion to 10,000 parts of water is said to kill Anopheles larvae In less than half an hour, while 1 part to 5,000 parts of water will kill them in from 5 to 10 minutes. At a larviclde plant at Anion 4,000 gallons of this mixture were made at a cost of g 0.1416 per gallon. Although this mixture has been used to a large extent to Panama, crude oil was also used for streams having a fair velocity.