Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-13
The Carpet Bug.

|
! The Carpet Bug.
The following, from the Boston Herald,
will be of interest to all housekeepers
whose homes have been or may be invad-
ed by the carpet bug:
/ The recently imported carpet bug'' or
"buffalo moth" the two names by which
the thing signifed is best known, threat
els to become pest compared with
which the Colorado beetle will rank as
second in the order of destructiveness.
This misnamed moth is the larya of the
tiny beetle. so small as to escape obser
walton unless specially looked for. The
writer's knowledge OF it begun near the
close of July, 1874, when It was suddenly
discovered that every room of his house
in Cambridge was infested with numer
Gus black, hairy larvae, about fourth of
an inch long, of oval shape and of very
quick motions. They were found chiefly
under the edges of the carpets, and wher-
ever larvae was lodged there a hole was
eaten through the wooden portion of the
carpet. In back chamber, the flooring
OF which was so shrunken as to leave
wide crevices between the boards, the in
grain carpet was found to be cut in
places, along the cracks, for several inch
es as 1t with scissors. 1t was the APP
pearance OF the cuts that led to thorough
search and to the discovery Of the author
of this mischief.
In August, 1874. several larvae were
placed in glass-covered boxes and their
changes watched. After casting their
skins one or more times, according to
their respective stages of growth, the
larve became motionless in October and
so remuined for some weeks. At length,
during the late fall and winter, those that
survived imprisonment without food split
lengthwise along the back and gave forth
each small beetle, about an eighth of
an inch in length, spotted with white and
red. In March and April following, 1875,
numerous beetles of precisely the same
description were found crawling upon
the inside of the windows and many of
them were killed. After thorough beat
ing OF the carpets. at the time of the
usual spring house cleaning, pepper, stuff
and various insect powders were strewn
about the borders OF the floor, beneath the
edges OF the carpets. These we're found
then and the next year absolutely in
etfectual as remedies, and, in spite of
them and Of frequent examinations AID
killing, kept up throughout the summers
] OF 1875 al 1876, the larva were found
as numerous and as destructive as before
Kerosene Oil was also tried to some ex-
| tent, but its use was soon discontinued. as
1T was found to soil the carpets. Oae
point only was gained. Thick floor pa
per laid beneath carpets was found
to prevent any further eating along the
cracks.
In the spring OF 1877, after the clean
ing and beating, benzine was literally
applied by means of common fat paste
brush. The borders of the floors, includ
ing the crev1ces between the boards and
beneath the base-boards, were well satu-
rated with the benzine, and the carpets
were laid down without mailing. Several
times in the course of the SUMMER the
edges were turned up, all larvae found
We're killed, and new applications of
benzine were made-between four and
five gallons being used IN a house of
moderate size. AS result Of this treat
ment scarcely any beetles were seen in
the spring OF the present year, and COM
paratively few larvae have been found at
work upon the carpets The benzine
would doubtless been still more effectuaL
if it had been applied on the first appear
ance of the beetles in March, for then it
is that pairing and egg-layipg probably
begin. The beetles are sluggish in their
motions, ano are easily caught and killed,
while tn Larvae are so nlmble that skill
and practice are required to crush them
before they dart away into the shelter of
some neighboring crevice.
The devourer does not confine its
ravages to carpets alone, but attacks furs,
soft brushes, feather busters and wooden
clothing as well, whether hanging in
cl"sets or folded IN drawers. In any
house where it occurs, its cast-off skins
will be found IN closets, trunks and boxes.
and in packages of all sorts, whatever
the contents or however securely tied. 1t
seeks refuge in there that it may safely
accomplish its final change from the
Larvae to the perfect stage.
1t now, when the ravages of the car
pet bug are just beginning, such destruc-
ton is wrought as is already reported
from the States of New York, New jersey
and Massachusetts, what may be expect
ed few years hence, unless some insect
antagonist shall appears 1t is evident
that only "eternal vigilance" and con-
slant fighting will hold the pest in check.
1t adds still another serious item to the
tolls of housekeeping. Some we'll in
formed persons express the opinion that
the use Of carpets will have to be aban-
doned. A house shut up for the sum-
mer, during the absence of the family, is
in great danger from the carpet Dug.
Several instances are known where, on
the return of the occupants in the fall,
carpets have been found entirely ruined,
and the house swarming with the insects