Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1909 — Clean Up ! Clean Up ! Clean Up ! [ARTICLE]

Clean Up ! Clean Up ! Clean Up !

Let me tell you something about our more common pests, namely mosquitoes and flies, both of which are purveyors of disease arid belong to the natural family known as Culicidae, which family includes gnats and other winged Insects. The mosquito belongs to the pliaptera order of the family and there are atout thirty-two known species varying in colors and size, some of these direct carriers of infection, such as the Anopheles which infect the body with malarial disease, the Stegarcia which infects" with the yellow fever germ, and the Culex which produces the dread malaria. . Now, of those which concerns us most hereabouts are the Anapheles or malarial carriers, their eggs are laid singly—-jn contradistinction to some other species which are laid in groups or boats —and are usually in some stagnant pool of water, an old rain barrel or tin cans scattered about the yard or vacant lots or any other receptacle into which rain has fallen and stood for some time —the wrigglers we see in the rain barrel are nothing more or less than mosquitoes in the larval state, these eggs usually float at the surface of the water and hatch in from 24 to 50 hours, depending somewhat upon the climate and temperature. They are capable of maintaining their fertility for a considerable period in a dry state, therefore, when some of these pools have gone dry and are suddenly filled by a warm shower of rain these eggs which have been lying dormant apparently take on .new life and begin hatching within half an hour. The length of life of the mosquito is variable, probably averaging from 16 to 20 days, although some of the females live throughout the winter. The body is divided into the head with its compound eyes and beak or lance, the thorax and the body proper. The female is the only one endowed with a perfect beak or lance by which she bites and sucks the blood, thereby infects the body or person. The beak of the male is only rudimentary in its formation. The Habitat: Mosquitoes are not fond of the sunlight but rather seek seclusion in dark, damp and filthy places during the daylight, or the dark part of a room, behind pictures, under tables, on dark rather than light wood if in the house, but if outside about cisterns, privy vaults, under grasses or bushes, or in the woods if dark and damp. It has been said that 5,000,000 people die annually in India from malaria and its sequela. If knowing the disease carrying habits of this pesteferous fellow, are we not derelict toward ourselves and fellow man as well as society in general if we do not— Clean Up ! Clean Up ! Clean Up !