Lecture Series: Early Michigan’s Scourge of Mosquitoes and Malaria

The challenge of mosquitoes and malaria to early settlers of Michigan was profound. Alexis de Tocqueville, who visited Michigan in July of 1831, commented a number of times as to how burdensome the mosquitoes were. The state of Michigan was known to early 19th century Americans as an area profuse with swamps, disease and other hardships. Malaria was so widespread throughout the region that all expected to suffer from it and it was viewed less as a disease than simply a reality of life. Efforts by early Michiganders to find relief from mosquitoes included the use of smudges and other techniques of limited efficacy. Quinine was a highly sought after to relieve ague (malaria) symptoms. Three aspects of early Michigan made for significant populations of mosquitoes and associated malaria; topography, the extent of forests and the amount of wetlands. Efforts to develop land through wetland drainage, and the lumber industry that cleared much of the virgin forest in the state, altered and in many cases reduced much of the mosquito habitat. Yet, many of the land attributes remain and still contribute to a significant mosquito burden in parts of the state.

About Carl W. Doud, PhD
Dr. Doud obtained his PhD in entomology from Kansas State University. He is currently the Director of Midland County Mosquito Control (MCMC) in Sanford, Michigan. Dr. Doud came to Midland County in 2014 following retirement from the US Navy as a Medical Entomologist in the Navy Medical Service Corps. He is active in the Michigan Mosquito Control Association (MMCA), currently serving as Chair of the MMCA Legislative Liaison Committee and served as MMCA President in 2019.

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