Public works . or Destroying Mosquito Laurvae. Most efforts at eliminating mosquitoes are directedtoward the destruction of the aquatic stages of the in-sect, or removing bodies of water where they may devel-op. The former is attempted by covering the pools ofwater with a film of oil, which prevents the mosquitolarvae from obtaining air, or by introducing into thewater some form of animal life which will destroy thelarvae. An investigation of the effectiveness of fishes in de-stroying mosquito larvae has been made by the U. of Fisheries, which detailed Samuel F. Hilde-brand to co-oper
Public works . or Destroying Mosquito Laurvae. Most efforts at eliminating mosquitoes are directedtoward the destruction of the aquatic stages of the in-sect, or removing bodies of water where they may devel-op. The former is attempted by covering the pools ofwater with a film of oil, which prevents the mosquitolarvae from obtaining air, or by introducing into thewater some form of animal life which will destroy thelarvae. An investigation of the effectiveness of fishes in de-stroying mosquito larvae has been made by the U. of Fisheries, which detailed Samuel F. Hilde-brand to co-operate with the Public Health Service insuch investigation. The experiments were made nearAugusta, Georgia, where there were a number of pondsthat were undrainable. Little attempt was made to com-pare the effectiveness of different species of fishes, butthe investigation was almost wholly devoted to the de-termination of the practical value of the top minnow(Gcvnbiisia affinis). Mr. Hildebrand, as ichthyologist to. THE SURFACE MINNOW; MALE AB0\:E, FEMALE BELOW. the bureau, believing that this fish w-as probably the onemost suitable for antimalarial work. The top minnow was selected because it seeks its foodat the surface, lives and thrives under a large variety ofconditions, and especially in water suitable for the sup-port of mosquito larvae, it is very prolific, and its eftec-tiveness in destroying mosquito larvae in aquaria andfountains was already well known. In addition, it wasquite common in the vicinity of Augusta. The fish does not lay eggs but gives birth to well de-veloped and very active young. It therefore requires nospecial environment for depositing and hatching breeds throughout the summer, new broods being pro-duced at intervals of about a month or six weeks; sixbroods of 50 to 100 each in a season having been young have been seen attacking and eating mos-quito larvae before they were a day old. Fish born inApril and May have been known to produce
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmunicip, bookyear1896
