MOSQUITOES APPEAR

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 21, 20 October 1941, Page 6

MOSQUITOES APPEAR

More When Weather Is Warmer LIKELY BREEDING PLACES Though the spring is not far advanced, mosquitoes are beginning to make their presence felt in Wellington and residents particularly in the lowlying areas are complaining about having their rest disturbed by the buzzing and the bites of these pests. Last summer mosquitoes were numerous In Wellington, and complaints were received by the Health Department from some hotel manager that their guests were being driven away bv the insects. When the hot weather comes, it will speed up the breeding process of the mosquitoes, . . Very little water is required foi mosquitoes to breed in. One of the very likely places, apart from, stagnant ponds and water tanks, is in the gully at the foot of rainwater downpipes on churches and public buildings Lily-ponds and fish-ponds will often be found to contain mosquito larvae, and sufficient carp or goldfish should be kept in them to eat all the immature mosquitoes. Old motor tyres are a very fruitful sourse of trouble Any small body of water not subject to disturbance or flushing out will breed mosquitoes.' Only half an inch or so of witter is necessary—slight depressions in the spouting round houses and other buildings are a favourite breeding ground. Destroying Larvae.

The Health Department keeps in close touch with the Wellington City Council in an effort to locate potential breeding-places and to destroy the mosquito larvae. When the Broadcasting House building was discontinued because of the ■war, fears were aroused that the water on the site would ‘breed mosquitoes in such numbers as to constitute a serious menace. Before any real complaint could be made, however, the authorities took effective steps by the liberation of a small fish called gambusia, a native of Florida, which has eaten all the mosquito larvae. A member of the minnow family, gatnbusia are voracious eaters, and in proportion to their size are as deadly as sharks. They are reported to have adapted themselves to their new environment aud to have multiplied considerably, so that the danger of a plague of mosquitoes from that quarter is considered to be remote.