Smyrna Times

MOSQUITO WAR DOWN STATE

Gabrielson Lauds State
Kent County Only
E IS UNHARMED

Mosquito control ditching was ended as having been beneficial to wild ducks and muskrats by Ira N. Gabrielson, Director of the U. S. Biological Survey, one of the country's leading experts on migratory wild fowl, after a recent tour of the Sussex County marshes, where mosquito control has been underway for the last year and a half. Control ditches have been dug during the last year between mosquito control interests and game protective groups on this issue.

"I have not seen any ill effects on wild life," Mr. Gabrielson stated returning from the tour. "Apparently the marshes are greatly improved as muskrat and wild duck areas and have fine stands of food. The owners of these marshes told me this food did not grow here before the ditches were installed, except in sparse patches.

"As far as I can see," he continued, "from the mosquito control work only good effects are accruing and I don't think the ditching has changed the water levels sufficiently to do any harm or to kill off the grasses upon which the wild life feeds." He stated that the Biological Survey expected to check this work frequently to see if any harm is resulting, and that they expect to cooperate with the Delaware Mosquito Control Commission in working out methods that will serve to eliminate the mosquitoes insofar as possible, and still not harm the wild life living in the marsh. "I feel that the mosquito control organization of this State has been highly cooperative in its efforts not to harm the habitats of wild game," he concluded, "and apparently they have improved them by creating more abundant food and cleaner marshes."

The visit to the mosquito control areas came about as the result of a conference in Washington between officials of the Forest Service, which controls the CCC camps engaged in mosquito control work in Delaware, and officials of the Biological Survey.

"As a rule, the work has been performed very satisfactorily and energetically," said C. R. Tillotson, Assistant Regional Forester, who was a representative of the Forest Service. Among those on the tour of mosquito controlled marshes and duck nesting areas were Dr. F. C. Bishop, Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture, considered one of the country's leading authorities on mosquito eradication; Anthony Higgins, of Angola, vice president of the Delaware Fish and Game Protective Association, and W. S. Corkran, executive officer of the Delaware Mosquito Control Commission.

The inspection included several marshes in Rehoboth Bay area, and all the marshes bordering the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal and the Broadkill River to the drawbridge.

The Prime Hook marshes in the vicinity of Broadkill Beach were observed and special attention given to the newly-developed spill and tide gates which have recently been installed there to control the water levels and thereby protect the valuable wild life in that area. Next, the upper marshes of the Prime Hook Creek were traversed in the vicinity of the William Foord pheasant and partridge farm. Here excellent examples of ditching game marshes were observed. The visitors were also shown the marshes in the vicinity of Slaughter Beach and Fort Saulsbury, where the hay industry is thriving as never before. Finally, a flying trip into the lower side of Kent county was made to observe the marshes on the north side of the Mispillion, which are now being staked out preparatory to an early start in ditching by the new CCC company at Magnolia. The experts said that the trip over the Sussex county marshes was marked by the absence of mosquito annoyance, but that when they reached the Kent county marshes, which has not yet been controlled, they were engulfed in clouds of mosquitoes.