4oo 



SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



may even breed indoors, in flower vases, unused water 

 pitchers, and tanks. They may come from deserted cisterns 

 or from sewer traps during dry spells when the sewers have 

 not been flushed. 



3. CONTROL OF MOSQUITO 



Natural enemies of mosquitoes. In discussing methods 

 for exterminating the mosquito, it is important to know 



what are its natural 

 enemies and to en- 

 courage their pres- 

 ence. As the adults 

 are chiefly nocturnal, 

 their chief enemies 

 will naturally be those 

 which are active at 

 night. Among the 

 birds, the nighthawk 

 and whippoorwill are 

 night feeders and de- 

 stroy many mosqui- 

 toes. The swallows, 

 too, although not 

 nocturnal, include 

 mosquitoes in their 

 diet. Twenty-four species of birds have been known to 

 feed upon the mosquito. They are eaten also by frogs, toads, 

 bats, dragonflies, and other insects, and many are caught in 

 spider webs. 



The larvae and pupae have many enemies. Nine species 

 of shore birds are known to feed on the wigglers of mos- 

 quitoes. Hundreds of larvae have been found in the stomach 

 of a single killdeer. The larvae are eaten in large numbers 

 by fishes and many water insects. 



FIG. 158. Rain barrels, breeding places for mos- 

 quitoes. Should be kept covered. 



