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Country Districts.
In country towns the mosquitoes concerned are Culex pervigilans and Taeniorhynchus iracundus; in the country proper C. pervigilans, T. iracundus and Rachionotomyia argyropus.
On the whole, country towns suffer from the mosquito pest through conditions similar to those that prevail in the cities. The smaller towns which have no street gully-traps have a considerable growth of weeds and grass in their streets and in their semi-rural outskirts. One large northern town was in a particularly bad state: almost every vacant section, backyard, embankment and rubbish tip was involved; dumps of 100 or more tins were found at the back or sides of commercial houses, bakehouses, etc., and the local body's rubbish dump was a vast breeding ground for mosquitoes. Vigorous action by the local authority has since rectified this state of affairs, greatly to the benefit of the inhabitants.
At Kawa Kawa C. pervigilans was breeding in large numbers in pools of water almost in the town, and adults were hatching out continuously from drains, tins, hoof-holes, etc. The residents were not much troubled, however, for cows graze in several of the streets and the mosquitoes apparently confine their attention to them. Imperfect and open drains, seepage pools, rain-water tanks or small reservoirs near the town, all provide further conditions for mosquito breeding. Russell, for instance, was found to be infested with mosquitoes all the year round; the residents depending on uncovered rain-water tanks for their mater supply.
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Country hotels often unwittingly provide means for breeding mosquitoes that annoy the guests and staff. Some, which lack a proper water supply, have in the yard barrels of water for washing and scrubbing. They are invariably uncovered and breed swarms of mosquitoes. In one hotel whose guests were loud in their complaints of mosquito pestering, the source of annoyance was traced to a 10-gallon drum of water in the privy. This drum was estimated to be breeding 20,000 mosquitoes a month. The addition of lysol, a teaspoonful to the gallon, put a stop to the nuisance immediately. Other causes of trouble were horse-troughs, scalding-troughs, blocked roof guttering or spouting, and bedroom water-jugs and flower vases.
Every group of farm buildings offers almost as great a variety of breeding places as exists in towns, but farm residents are rarely troubled by the mosquitoes, which devote practically all their attention to the dairy stock and poultry.
Country roads are often flanked by blocked or partly-blocked drains, by neglected water-tables, or by borrow-pits which become prolific breeding places.
The holes left by kauri-gum diggers positively teem with mosquitoes, particularly when scrub has been allowed to grow round them and provide shade.
The borders of lakes and lagoons provide breeding grounds round their edges. The most extensive mosquito breeding conditions, however, are usually those provided by interference with, or alteration of, the natural conditions through road-making and other constructional work.
The conversion of swamps and “gum-land” into agricultural land by drainage schemes is contributing enormously to the elimination of the mosquito problem in many country districts. This is well illustrated in the neighbourhood of Kaitaia and Te Kao.
In country towns and around country houses much the same control measures are required as in the towns.
There may be blocked drains and channels, swamp areas, blocked water-tables and borrow-pits that need clearing or draining and open water reservoirs that should be stocked with native trout. Probably nothing but draining and cultivation will stop the nuisance in dug-over “gum” country.