CHAPTER XXV 



MOSQUITOES 



Importance. — Of all existing insect pests mosquitoes are the 

 greatest enemies of mankind. The mere annoyance which the 

 enormous numbers of them cause by their constant attacks and 

 painful bites is sufficient to have made some parts of the world 

 practically uninhal)itable. There are rich pieces of country which 

 have remained absolutely unsettled on account of this pest alone. 

 Some of the choicest hunting and camping grounds in North 

 America, and in other continents also, are practically closed to 

 the camper by the countless millions of mosquitoes which trans- 

 form a camper's Paradise into an intolerable hell, and drive any 

 bold human invader to frenzy. When travel through such places 

 is necessary no comfort can be hoped for without the presence 

 of a dense smudge or without almost constant application of 

 " mosquito dope," and even then the unceasing " zangs " of the 

 mosquitoes as they threateningly approach is hardly less trying 

 on the nerves than are the actual attacks. Unlike most insect 

 pests the mosquitoes of cold northern countries are if anything 

 more abundant than they are in the tropics. The far northern 

 mosquitoes do not, however, act as carriers of disease; terrible as 

 they are, they wage clean warfare, whereas tropical mosquitoes 

 have their spears poisoned with death-dealing disease germs. 

 The northern mosquitoes bite, suck their fill of blood if they can, 

 and are through; the tropical mosquitoes often leave months or 

 years of suffering and disease, or even death, in their wake. No 

 less than four different diseases are believed to be transmitted 

 by mosquitoes exclusively, namely, malaria, .yellow fever, dengue 

 or breakbone fever and filariasis, while a fifth, a form of myiasis 

 in South America, is believed to bo transmitted sometimes l)y 

 mosquitoes. Mosciuitoes have been suspected of complicity in 

 the transmission of still other diseases, ])ut their relation to the 

 first four diseases mentioned above is sufficient to brand them as 

 the greatest insect enemies of the Imman race. 



424 



