THE LIFE OF A MOSQUITO

THE LIFE OF A MOSQUITO

Outline:

1.      The mosquito originates in green pools or in any moist soil or vegetable matter.

2.      It is a bloodsucker, and travels from one living to another.

3.      Two kinds; the culex and the essanofele.    

4.      Only resolute and determined action can end malaria.

The mosquito was born in April, in the green scum on the surface of a pool near the road way. Someone had dug that hole to get soil for his courtyard,  and the rain had then filled it up. Many other mosquitoes were due to leave the pool that day, but just before our mosquito departed, a man from the Municipality arrived with a spray and a tin of black oil. When he had sprayed the pool thousands of the young mosquitoes were killed. But our mosquito flew gaily into the bazaar (market).

He felt hungry soon, for our mosquito was as blood-thirsty as a little tiger. He alighted on a poor, hungry-looking beggar and, with his long pointed sucker began to drink his blood. The beggar was a sick man and was not troubled. He was so accustomed to insect bites that he hardly felt this mosquito drawing off his blood. But the mosquito did not wait long, for his instinct told him that the blood of the poor man was thin and not good. So he found a small boy aged ten, sitting in a tonga while his father did some shopping. He enjoyed this much better, as the boy was young and healthy. When the boy had a sharp attach of malaria ten days later, his father knew nothing about the little mosquito in the bazaar.  

  

Our mosquito made no buzzing noise when he flew round his victims when he plunged his piercer into them, they hardly felt it, so fine it was. That was why he was so dangerous. He had a cousin,  another kind of mosquito called the culex, who always made a sharp buzzing noise and who gave a sharp sting like a wasp. But the sharp bite of the culex, although unpleasant did not carry the germ of malaria as a rule. our little striped friend was the true carrier.

During the day, he sheltered in the dark buses or in some dark and dusty corner of a house. As the sun set, he would come quietly out and fly around, as anxious for blood as the leopard which lives on the rocky hill beside the village. he enjoyed life, finding many people around on whom to satisfy his appetite. He went from a sick man to a healthy child, and back again, carrying the germs of one to the other. But one day a servant carrying a Flit gun came and sprayed the corner in which the little mosquito was sleeping, so he died suddenly. But how much disease and suffering had he spread among men, women and children during his short life in our town!