When Long Beach routed mosquitoes
June 16, 1918: Workers in Long Beach waged war on mosquitoes, The Times reported under the headline, “HARBOR PESTS PUT TO ROUT.”
Mosquito larvae, The Times said, had been “lying in concealed positions in pools near the ocean” and “planning a general invasion of the government shipyards and other industrial areas.”
Safety Commissioner James R. Williams had a crew dig trenches connecting the ocean and the pools.
“The larvae was washed out to sea with the receding tide, and the total destruction of thousands of unhatched mosquitoes accomplished,” the newspaper said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
