Mosquitoes: Pests of the Household

Mosquitoes are of many species, but most have at least one point in common; their immature stages are found in stagnant water. They do not require breeding places of large area. An open rain water barrel, an old watering trough, tin cans containing rain water; all such places provide suitable breeding ground.

The larvae are familiarly known as wrigglers, and live on minute animal or vegetable life, beneath the surface of the water. They must come to the surface occasionally to breathe. Following the larval, there is an active pupal stage, preceding the emergence of the adult. The entire life round requires only ten days to two weeks under favorable conditions.

Any thorough effort at control is best directed toward destroying the breeding places or preventing the insect from breeding in such as cannot be destroyed. Large tanks above ground may be screened. In a word, stagnant water must be eliminated, or mosquitoes kept from it. In addition careful screening of houses is highly desirable, especially since some diseases are carried by certain species.