SOME RECENT ADVANCES IN MOSQUITO WORK. 



Thomas J. Headlee, Ph. D., 



Entomologist of the N. J. Agric. Experiment Stations. 



Charles S. Beckwith, B. Sc, 



Assistant Entomologist of the N. J. State Experiment Station. 



At the outset the writers wish to state the present status 

 of mosquito work in New Jersey. Approximately 95,000 acres of 

 the salt marsh has been rendered reasonably free from mosquito 

 breeding. This has involved the cutting of about 113^ million 

 feet of ditches 10 inches wide and thirty inches deep or their 

 equivalent, the building of 17.2 miles of dike, the installation of 

 76 sluices and tide gates (representing 842 sq. ft. of cross section 

 outlet opening), the installation of one four and one twelve 

 inch centrifugal pump and the connection of 100 acres of 

 marsh with a large sewage pumping plant. Approximately 

 50 per cent of the reasonably permanent fresh water mosquito 

 breeding pools scattered over 315,000 acres of upland has been 

 permanently eliminated. 



During the past year 3,289,120 linear feet of narrow 10 x 30 

 inch trenching or its equivalent has been installed in the salt 

 marsh, 8,200 lineal feet of dike have been built, and 30 sluices 

 and tide gates have been constructed and placed, affording 371 

 sq. ft. of cross section outlet. Approximately 95,000 acres of 

 salt marsh have been patrolled throughout the mosquito season 

 and the mosquito breeding thereon, which drainage systems 

 did not prevent, destroyed in so far as possible. Approximately 

 315,000 acres of upland have been likewise patrolled, a large 

 amount of draining and filling completed, and as nearly as 

 possible all residual breeding destroyed. As a direct result a 

 very considerable measure of protection has been given to 

 1^ millions of people. The cost of the whole operation has 

 been less than $210,000, or about 12 cent's per capita. 



Although a certain amount of drainage is yet to be done 

 within the areas already covered, the great centers of population, 

 which were formerly over run with mosquitoes, are now pretty 

 well protected; and the present outlook is that the protection 

 will grow better from year to year through the substitution of 

 permanent for temporary elimination. 



