RURAL MOSQUITO AND MALARIA CONTROL 223 



hold water for considerable periods. In this case, the holes 

 should be filled or drained, in accordance with the suggestions 

 outlined in a previous chapter. 



Should the house be near a flowing stream, fish control probably 

 would be the best method of attack. Even though the edges of 

 the stream were not cleaned periodically, a certain measure 

 of protection would always be assured. Should the stream be 

 one that dries up from time to time, probably the best thing to do 

 would be to oil it, whenever necessary, or, if not too costly, 

 re-channel the stream, so that no water would stand in it for 

 longer than a few days. 



PROTECTING HOMES IN SWAMPS, ETC. 



A home situated in or near a swamp would give more trouble. 

 In this case, it probably would pay, in the long run, if funds 

 were available, to drain the swamp. If this were impracticable, 

 however, for any reason, there are several things that could be 

 done, in addition to screening and elimination of breeding about 

 the home, that would be of great assistance. Among them are 

 the following: 



1. Cut down brush, tall weeds and grass that harbor mos- 

 quitoes. Make the yard about the house a shrubless one — open 

 to the sun and wind at all times. High trees may be left. 



2. Plant a screen of trees some distance from the house between 

 the breeding-place and the house. This, according to Carter, 1 

 serves to hide the lights of the house from the marsh or stops the 

 mosquitoes brought by the breeze from their breeding-places, 

 or both. 



3. Stock the swamp or those parts of it adjacent to the house 

 with larva-destroying fish. 



4. Try starting a bat-roost. While some authorities are 

 doubtful of the efficacy of this procedure, it would cost but 

 little to try it out. 



5. Oil nearby portions of the swamp from time to time or 

 install a few submerged drips therein. 



6. Build the stables between the house and the swamp, at 

 some distance from the former. If the stables are already built 

 elsewhere, or there are none, pasture cattle, hogs or other domes- 

 tic animals between the house and the swamp. 



1 "Anti-malarial Measures for Farm-houses and Plantations." U. S. 

 Public Health Service, 1919. 



