Proceedings. 1923 1!^7 



An epidemic of ime year, if not eontrcilled. may increase I'lO to 200% 

 tlie next. Conti'ol work will decrease it at least 80%. If our forests 

 were not disturbed, only large windfalls would increase these infestations 

 to epidemic proportions, but promiscuous cuttings, unless regulated by 

 the government, upset the natural balance and cause such outbreaks as 

 we are having at the present time, which would answer the question, 

 ■'Why is the Forest Entomologist"? 



In conclusion. I wish to state tliat if a thorough campaign of slash 

 disposal and control of incipient outbreaks is carried on in the future, 

 the tremendous loss caused in the past to the forests of the province 

 will not only be stopped, but much of the fire risk now caused by .slash 

 and dead standing timl)ei' will cease to exist. 



MOSQUITO CONTROL AT BANFF 



By Eric I1i;ari,i;. Dclmixion Extomologk'al Branch 



In the Agricultural (iazette for May-June, T,t22, the writer con- 

 tributed a brief statement on an aerial survey of mosquito breeding 

 places, conducted in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, which 

 survey was made in 1921. In the same year, in company with Mr. 

 Arthur Gibson, Dominion Entomologist, a brief .survey was made of 

 mosquito infested areas in the Rocky Mountains' National Park, ad- 

 jacent to the town of Banff and the station of Lake Louise, Alberta. 



It has been recognized for some time that relief from the mosquito 

 trouble might be possible, and in the summer of 1916 the late Dr. Hewitt 

 undertook a preliminary survey and drew up valuable recommendations. 

 During the last three or four years a certain amount of control work 

 has been condvicted under Messrs. Sanson and Childe, of the Parks 

 Branch, and considerable success was met within the reduction of the 

 mosquitoes. In the Spring of 1922, Mr. Arthur Gibson, the Dominion 

 Entomologist, arranged for a detailed investigation into the pest, and 

 the writer was given charge of all the investigational and control work. 

 Oiling operations were extended much further than previously, and as 

 a result the mosquito pest in the vicinit.v of Banff was reduced to a 

 negligible quantity during the past season. 



The 1922 investigations showed that oiit of a moscpiito fauna of 

 somr" IS species only three of the species were imjiortant pests. 

 Constituents of the Pest: 



There were found to be two main problems — the snow-pool problem 

 in the early summer and the flood water problem dependent upon the 

 river freshets. In the former, one species only is important — Aedes 

 cataphylla Dyar; but in the hitter, while Aedes cataphylla Dyar is tlie 

 species of main importance, Aedes intrudens Dyar aiul Aedes vexans 

 Meigen have also to be reckoned with. In ilay the melting snows (ill 



