Mosquito, The (1947)

this is a common mosquito where did this mosquito come from how do mosquitoes live and why does fight mosquitoes mosquitoes breed in water stagnant water in a swamp like this is a good breeding Place mosquitoes breed in trash heaps where water May collect old tin cans filled with rainwater become breeding places for mosquitoes undrained puddles of stagnant water are filled with mosquito rers during the breeding season most of the mosquitoes that Annoy Us breed in many places right around our homes they breed in damp spots around the house and yard and especially in roof gutters which are clogged up mosquitoes even breed in such odd places as trees where there are holes filled with Rainwater the common mosquito lays its eggs on the water here they are a floating mass of eggs like a boat or raft a raft of eggs of the common mosquito contains from 100 to 400 eggs in warm weather the the eggs hatch in a day or so into larv the larv squirm and pull free from the egg cases the larv come to the water surface to breathe each larvae breathes through a tube called a siphon at the end of its body tiny brushes at the mouth feed the larvae by Sweeping in small bits of food along with a little water the larvae is commonly called a regler during the laral stage a mosquito sheds its skin or molts ordinarily it molts four times between each molting the larv grow rapidly thousands of mosquito lar may be living in just such a pond as this they keep alert to dangers about them A Falling Leaf or other disturbance may cause the larvey to dash downward to the bottom a sudden Shadow over the water sends them wriggling to the bottom but even then they are not safe from this dragonfly nymph the dragonfly is only one of many creatures that destroy mosquito larv if the larvae escapes its enemies during the week or two of its laral stage it begins its fourth mol it breaks out of its last laral skin and enters the pupil stage this change from one form to another is spoken of as metamorphosis when the mosquito's pupil form is fully developed it crawls out of the old larvel skin at this stage of its development the mosquito ceases to be a larvae and becomes a puper the puper cannot eat it breathes through two tubes on its back the pupil form lasts about 2 2 or 3 days while the mosquito grows inside when it is fully developed it takes in air and swells until it splits the pupil skin and comes out then it rests and breathes for a while as it gains strength when it is strong enough it flies away for something to eat it may find food in flowers filled with nectar or it may feed on juices of plants and trees or the rotten fruit in an orchard the male mosquito eats only vegetable Foods it can be identified by its feathery feelers the female mosquito likes blood and eats it when she can this is a common mosquito she hungrily punches right through the skin and sucks her victim's blood to fill her stomach after feeding and mating the female mosquito returns to the swamp or some other suitable place to lay her eggs or she may rest through the winter male mosquitoes soon die this female mosquito laying her eggs is a member of the anop family the anaphes mosquito carries malaria germs each egg is a potential threat to the health of human beings here are larv that have hatched from the anop eggs unlike common mosquito larve these larv of the anop rest almost parallel to the surface and breathe through holes rather than through a siphon or breathing tube the pupa of the anop looks much like the pupa of the common mosquito here is the female anop mosquito feeding with her body held high in a straight line with her long beak she sticks her beak through the skin secreting saliva to make the beak go in easier with the saliva malaria germs are carried into the blood this man has acquired malaria from the bite of an infected anop mosquito malaria causes chills followed by fever recurring cycles of chills and fever sap the victim's strength the best way to wipe out malaria is to prevent mosquito breeding to combat the mosquito Menace scientists continually study the mosquitoes that carry diseases they seek new ways to control and Destroy them in the Laboratories chemicals are discovered for killing mosquitoes as soon as tested they are put to practical use here the common catch Basin found on side streets has been sprayed with a solution for killing larv the mosquito eggs larv and pupy all die when deprived of air a similar treatment is given a swamp near a congested residential area the white fog produced by this machine contains a chemical that will kill adult mosquitoes as it drifts over their breeding places the airplane has proved of service in spraying large areas breeding places such as ponds and swamps may be destroyed by draining where this is practicable places that cannot be drained may be stocked with minnows NES and fish these natural enemies of the mosquito help destroy the larve weeds are often cut in damp areas so that sunlight can kill the larve Wise House owners scream Windows Doors and porches to keep out mosquitoes but despite our efforts the mosquito's life cycle goes on female mosquitoes lay eggs the eggs hatch into lar that feed and grow and Mt the larve become pupy then after a few days the pupy become full grown mosquitoes the life cycle or metamorphosis of the mosquito is complete but its danger to man is just beginning it along with billions of others that rise from the breeding places May annoy people and carry diseases to them the world over