The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-12-28
FARM AND GARDEN.
The Garnet Beetle.


The Carpet Beetle is rapidly extending Its
range, anu Is carrying terror and CONSERVATION
a. The hearts OF housckcepers. While it has
been for lwn Years more or less abundant I'M
the Stalc OF New folk, ii has begun It's raw
a,,v> IN Canb ldge, Mass and it seems likely
thai thc use ui carpets will he in many cases
abandoned, is tins insect works insidlou>ly
ana Is exceedingly difficult 10 destroy or even
keep within proper bounds. Mr.. j. A. Lint.
ner, IN an article IN lhc Imcrtc0H NdtHIutISf,
says;
"ihe ordinary applications ofcamphor, pep
per luuarcO, luIptntinc, catholic aClu, etc. aIcI
poMeIlcss against it, 1t has even been assert
e'i that il grows tal' on these substances AM
ctiectiial means OF destruction and pIeVentlHcl
against new invdsOns Is sui To be discovered
The tree USE OF hcnllnc has been recommended
IN some Of our Journals To he used IN The SAT
ura,ioD Of cotton. with which to I'LL the join
inys OF the floors and crcviccs beneath the base
buards. This i, To bc done wilhin the winter
months at which time the insect will lie Occu
pyug these retreats, either III It's perfect beetle
form or as eggs deposited for another brood
To either of these the direct application of ben
zine would be f,lai. TO some of my CORES.
pondcnls have suggested the pouring of ker
osenc oil in the ClevlCes of the soOrS and fill
ing Of all places ui retreat with cotton satura
ed with the OIL | would regard this as less
- J
eilCicnt.
The recommendation recently made IN sew
cral OF our newspapers of the Persian Insect
Powder for the destruction at the insect l be-
lieve to be Of no value. have not deemed i'll
worth the Trouble OF experimenting with; but
have been told by those who have given 1t a
trial hat il has been found To be Of no avail
whatever"
The Beetle is aspcclcs of Anthrcnus and Isl
mel hLa ti.. vail mi
this name MIR. LIntner describes it rs fol
lows:
The larva-the form in which it is usually |
found when pursuing lis ravagcs beneath the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 1T maturity abort three
si,lcenlhs oi an inch III length. a number OF
hairs radale from lis last segment IN nearly
scnllcirce, Uul are more lhckly clustered in
line Win the body, forming tail-likc proiec-
ton almost as lons the body. The length
OF the insect, including the pencil OF hairs Is in
the largest specimens nearly thrce-clghths 10
All incn. Measured across the body and the
lateral halls, It's breadth just equals the length
OF the body. An ordinary magnlilcr viii show
thr front part of the DOuy, where no distinct
hcad is To he seen, thlckly set with short
brown hairs and Il few longer ones. Similar
short hairs clOthC The UoIy--somcWhat cnger
Oh the sides, where they tend 10 form small
tufts. Toward inc nindcr end MAY be seen on
projecting lalcry. But these are not always
visible, "a, the insect, 10y The AID of "A peculiar
MUSCULAR arran cement, has the power OF iuid-
ing them out oi sight along It's sides. The
body has the appearance OF being banded III
two shades OF brONn- the darker band being
the central portion OF each ring, and the lighL
er the connecting portions OF me rings, known
a. the lnCisuIc. iy turning IL upon lis back,
the SIX little legs, of which itmakes such good
l., il, nttn :, Ii,
its oimer position, lis slsuggles while in TINS
condition sometimes producing IA series of
jumps of about an eighth OF an inch in length.
Having attained It's full growth II pre-
parcs for It's pupal change, without the con
stIuctiOu of cocoon or any other provision
than merely seeking some convenient retreat.
Here II remains in quiet state, unatered in
external appearance, except somewhat con-
tractrd in length, until it has nearly completed
its pupation, when the skin is rent along its
back, and through the tissure the pupa Is seen.
A few weeks having passed, the pupal-skin in
It's turn is split dOr,ally, and the brightly col-
Ored Wingcovers of the beetle are disclosed.
Still "a few additional days OF rep0se are re-
quired for its full development, when the now
fully-maiured beetle cliwls from It's protective
coverings of pupal case and larval skin and
appears in its perfect form-its final stage.
The earliest beetle emcrges in the month
Of October and continues to make its appear
ance curing the fall, winter anu spring months
Soon aftcrtheir appearance probably they pair
anu the females deposit their eggs for another
breed OF the carpetcatlng Larvae.
"'Hhe beetle is quite small, smaller than
would ordinarily be expected from the size of
the larva being only about one-eighth OF an
inch long by Onctwelith broad. An average
of five examples before me gives length .125
inch, breadth .0Sj inch Its form is almost
perfect elipse as seen from above. Its back
and under surface are quite rounded. When
turned upon its back, it often for IA few mo
ments counterteits death, with its legs so
closely folded to the surface as scarcely to be
seen; and in this state the ordinary observer
might he at Il loss to know the lower from the
upper side.
1T Is "a beautituly,marked little insect in
its contrasting colors of white, black and car
let, arranged AS follows: The edge of each
wing-covcr where they meet on the back, Is
bOrtlcrcd with red Corning central red lne,)
with three red projections from it outwardiy-
one on the middle of the back and one
olher toward each end Take straight
line and divide in four equal parts by three
cross lines, and We have nearly the position OF
these projections. At the extreme tip u! the
wlng.COverS Is y widening Of the bordering
line, making almost fourth projection rom
it. The first prOjCCI ion, near the head, Is CON
Tectcd with white spot, running upwardly
on the middle o! the front border of the wing
cover On the outer border Of the wing COvers
are three white spots nearly opposite the red
projections. The intermediate spaces are
black. The scgmcuts OF the body beneath are
covered with pale red scales and the thOraclC
region (Which bears the legs with whitlsh
scales"