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HOMEMAKERS' CHAT TUESDAY, January 30, 1940.

(FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY)

‘Subject: "QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS." Information from the Bureau of Entomology and
Plant Quarantine, U. 8. Department of Agriculture.

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Fobruary is not the month when most people have mosquitoes on their minds.
But the very first question to come out of the mailbag today is: "What happens to
mosquitoes in winter?"

The entomologists reply that that depends on the kind of mosquito. If you
are interested in the northern or southern mosquito of the house or rain-barrel
variety, here's the answer. Some of the females survive the cold weather hidden in
protected places like out-buildings, or basements, or unused rooms in houses, even
in street drain-traps or storm sewcrs. In cool placcs these mosquitoes just sur-
vive and that's about all. They aren't active in winter. But in warmer places
they may go on breeding.

Now if you are interested in what happens to the yellow-fever mosquito in
winter, the answer is somewhat different. You'll be happy to know that the cold
weather up North kills off all the yellow-fever mosquitoes that have ranged that
for. But, farther South the eges of this mosquito may survive, or if the mosquito
itself finds a protected place in some building, it may survive, too, and worse
still, go on breeding the year around. But North or South winter weather slows up
the mosquito activities considerably.

If you have any more questions about mosquitoes, here's how to get the
@nswers in black and white, Write to the Department of Agriculture, Washington,

D.
C., for the new free leaflet on this insect. The leaflet is No. 186 called

"Dor
mestic Mosquitoes." It gives facts on tho life and habits of the mosquito and

a Bos

Fto got rid of mosquitoes. You'll find the TERE TOE oon reading before
weather arrives and mosquitoes become lively once more.

By the way, people often ask whether our common mosquitoes carry disease.

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w leaflet says: "Domestic mosquitoes can carry certain parasitic worms that

fman. And they may have sone part in the transmission of heart worns of

Ps you see a mosquito bite may endanger your health and also your dog's
Mosquitoes may cause livestock and poultry a great deal of discomfort if
tual sickness.

As for the yellow-fever mosquito, the name alone shows what a disease-

er this variety of mosquito is. The yellow-fever mosquito is the principal
Be not only of dreaded yellow fever, but also of dengue or breakbone fever.
Bicty, as long as Government quarantine regulations kcep yellow fever out of
ountry, you aren't in danger of contracting it from the mosquito bite. You
the mosquito has to bite someone with the fever before it can pass the germ

te you. Sut when yellow fever once gets a start in a country where it is not
8, the resulting sickness, death and economic losses are terrible. Of course,
itoes often hitch-hike long distances in trains, boats, automobiles, and air-
So with modern rapid transportation, infected yellow-fever mosquitoes from

a or South America might easily catch a ride into this country and bring the

se along.

Well, once again the nare of the new mosquito leaflet is "Domestic Mosquitoed!
nunber is 186, and you can get a copy by sending a postcard to the Department
Pic ture, Washington, D. C.

So far this month no one has asked a question about flies -- house flies,

But it won't be long before the house fly questions will be coming in.

me mention that along with the new leaflet on mosquitocs the Department of
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lture has published a new leaflet on house flics. If you want the facts on

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fighting the fly, write for leaflet 182 called "Houscfly Control." You won't find
this leaflet dainty reading, but you'll appreciate its closr helpful advico next
summer when you begin to worry about flies.

Speaking of annoying insects reminds me of another letter in this week's
nailbag. This letter cones from a housewife who is nuch surprised to find noths
active in hor house oven in this cold wintcr weather. She says she had always
supposed that moths didn't cat in winter. But she has just opened a drawer full
of sweaters and found moths thriving there.

Mae clothes moth pays no attention to the calendar. It doesn't care
whether the date is June or January so long as it has a warm, undisturbed, dark
place, and plenty of food in the form of wool, or fur, or feathers. In the old
days when bedrooms and clothes closets were cold in winter, housewives didn't
have to worry much about moths. But in a modern woll-heated house, you have to
fight moths the year arsund. A pile of wool swoaters lying undisturbed in a
drawer is a perfect dinner invitation for any clothes moth —- or for any wandering
carpet beetle.

That's all the questions today. More next Tuesday.

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