EXTERMINATION OF MOSQUITOES 



485 



Practical Exercise 1">. Use the diagram and compare the life histories of 

 the Anopheles and Culex so that you can determine the harmful form at any 

 stage in its life history. 



How may mosquitoes be exterminated? The fact that both 

 larvae and pupae take air from the surface of the water makes it 

 possible to kill the mosquito during these stages by pouring oil 

 on the surface of the water where they breed. The introduction of 



U. S. Department of Agriculture 



Dusting with Paris green from an airplane to destroy the malarial mosquito larvae on the 

 surface of water in the swamp and lake. 



minnows, goldfish, or other small fish where the mosquitoes breed 

 will do much in freeing a neighborhood from this pest. Draining 

 swamps or low land which holds water after a rain is another 

 method of extermination. Since the beginning of historical times, 

 malaria has been prevalent in regions infested by mosquitoes. 

 The ancient city of Rome was so greatly troubled by periodic 

 outbreaks of malarial fever that a goddess of fever came to be 

 worshiped in order to lessen the severity of what the inhabitants 

 believed to be a divine visitation. At the present time malaria 



H. BIO- 



32 



