CHAPTER IV 



METHODS OF DESTROYING AND REPELLING MOS- 

 QUITOES 



THE best way to escape annoyance from these insects 

 and to prevent the carriage of disease by them is to 

 destroy them. 



No one has yet devised practical methods of destroying 

 the adult mosquitoes, hence all of our efforts are best 

 directed against the immature stages of these pests; 

 namely, egg, larval, and pupal stages. 



The methods taken to destroy mosquitoes fall into three 

 distinct classes ; namely, the drainage of bodies of water 

 liable to contain eggs and wrigglers, the application of oil 

 to bodies of water that cannot be drained, and the intro- 

 duction of fish into pools that cannot be drained or oiled. 



At the very start one should find out, if possible, what 

 kind of mosquito is causing trouble and then find some- 

 thing about its habits and breeding places. If it is a far- 

 flying species coming from far distant saltwater pools, 

 make up your mind to endure it until it disappears. If 

 it is a local, fresh-water species, then hunt out its breeding 

 places, and use some of the methods outlined in the 

 following paragraphs. 



DRAINAGE 



This remedy hardly needs discussion. It is obvious 

 that if a pool be drained or a bucket or barrel be emptied, 

 84 



