INSECTS INJURIOUS IN 1902. 51 
_ In Press Bulletin No. 15 issued by this department May 24th, 
the life history of the Mosquito tribe was quite fully discussed 
and need not be repeated here since a copy of that bulletin can 
be obtained by any citizen of the State for the asking. 
The conditions here in this State and the bearing they have 
upon the life history of mosquitoes is being made a subject of 
study by this department, the date of appearance of the first brood, 
and the last, what species are represented, their method of hiber- 
nation, unsolved problems as to eggs, larvae, etc., as having a 
bearing upon the question of lessening the evil. 
The best means to reduce the pest in any neighborhood is to 
drain and fill up as rapidly as possible all marshy places in the 
vicinity. The introduction of fish into shallow ponds affords a 
means of killing mosquitoes, for fish feed upon the larvae and 
pupae. 
The evening of the shore line of ponds, making the same reg- 
ular and thus destroying small inlets and wet depressions has 
also been suggested. 
An effective remedy, but not a new one, is the application of 
kerosene to the surface of pools, drains, ponds, ditches, open cess 
pools and the like. Prof. L. O. Howard, U. S. Entomologist has 
brought this method into prominence, but beyond the establishing 
of certain important details, he does not claim any special orig- 
inality in its use. It is said that one ounce of oil to every 15 
square feet of surface will not only kill all the larvae, pupae and 
eggs in the water treated, but is fatal also to the adult female 
mosquito whose instincts prompt her to lay her eggs upon the 
surface of the water in spite of the presence of kerosene. The 
oil may be simply poured upon the water, preferably upon the 
windward side, and allowed to spread, or it may be sprayed. An 
objection to spraying is the fact that some oil is wasted and that 
vegetation is unnecessarily killed. Under some circumstances, how- 
ever, spraying is certainly the best method, and in the case of low, 
hummocky land with water in innumerable small holes all over 
the field, it would be manifestly a herculean task to pour oil in 
each hole, and the spray is resorted to as the best and quickest 
method, new vegetation quickly taking the place of that killed by 
the oil. ' 
