MOSQUITOES AND ANTS 351 



The entire life round requires only ten days to two weeks under favor- 

 able circumstances. 



Any thorough effort at control is best directed toward destroying 

 the breeding places or preventing the insect from breeding in such as 

 cannot be destroyed. The latter may be accomplished by pouring oil 

 on the water, so as to prevent the larvae from reaching the air when 

 they come up to breathe. Large tanks above ground may be screened. 

 In a word, stagnant water must be eliminated, or mosquitoes kept 

 from it. In addition careful screening of houses is highly desirable, 

 especially since some diseases are carried by certain species. 



In clearing a room of mosquitoes a fairly satisfactory substance is 

 available in pyrethrum, or '^ Persian insect powder." This may be 

 heaped up in little piles on a pan and lighted ; or, better, it may be 

 poured out on a piece of tin or a pan set over a kerosene lamp. In 

 the latter case not much smoke is given off, but the volatile oil that 

 stupifies the insect permeates the air. 



Another and successful fumigant consists of 1 part of saltpeter 

 mixed with 3 parts of powdered jimson weed, and burned on a tin pan. 

 Eight ounces to 1000 cubic feet is sufficient. 



House Ants 



The commonest ants in houses are the '' httle red ant," Monomorium 

 pharaonis L., and a closely related species, somewhat larger and black 

 in color, Monomorium minutum Mayr. 



In getting rid of ants it is a great help if the main colonies can be 

 hunted out and destroyed. The black ant hves outdoors, and enters 

 the house through some convenient crack. The little red ant always 

 has its nest in the walls or under the floors. 



Either may be caught and killed in large numbers by saturating a 

 sponge with sweetened water, placing it where they are abundant, and 

 now and then dropping the sponge into boihng water. Scraps of bone 

 or meat will do as well, and should be burned when well covered. 



A successful method of fighting ants has recently been devised in 

 California in the warfare against the notorious Argentine Ant (Iri- 

 domtjnnex humilis Mayr.), which overruns dwellings, stores, and ware- 



