River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-10-17
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 inyad-
ed by the carpet bug:
The recently imported carpet bug" or
''buffalo moth" the two names by which
the thing signified 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 larva 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 hole was
eaten through the WOODEN portion of the
carpet In a 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 if with scissors. 1t vas the APP
pearance Of the cuts that led to a thorough
search and to the discovery of the author
of this mischief.
In August, 1874, several Larvae were
placed in glass-coyered boxes and their
| changes watched After casting their
skins one or more times, according to
their respective stages of growth, the
| larvae became moti0nless in October and
so remuined for some weeks. At length,
during the late tall 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, 1915,
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, sLuft
and various insect powders were strewn
about the borders OF the floor, beneath the
edges of the carpets. These were found
then and the noxt year absolutely in
etfcctual as remedies, and, in spite OF
them and of frequent examinations ald
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
it was found to soil the carpets. 0ae
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 a common flat paste
brush The borders of the floors, includ
ing the crev1ces between The boards and
beneath the se-boards, were we'll satu-
rated with the benzne. and the carpets
were laid down without mailing. Several
times in the course of the summer The
edges were turned up, all larvae found
were 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 il their
motions, ano are easily caught and killed,
while tn larv@ are SO nlmble that skill
and practice are required to crush them
before they dart away into the shelter of
some neighboring crevice.
The deyourer does not confne its
ravages to carpets alone, but attacks furs,
soft brushes, feather busters and wooden
clothing as we'll, whether hanging in
clasets 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.
If 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 Massachu etts, what may be expect
ed few years hence, unless some insect
antagonist shall appears 1t is evident
that only eternal vigilance and con
slant lighting will hold the pest in check
1t adds still another serious item to the
tolls Of housekeeping. Some well 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
from the celler to the attic. Another
source of danger arises from the use of
or other like pieces of furne
ture, that rest closely and continuously
upon the carpet. Beneath these, or even
under a pile of newspapers that may be
left upon the corner of a study floor,
abundant marks of the devourer will al |
ways be found. Its mischief was detect
Cd in some Cambridge houses in 1873
and in some cases, perhaps a year earlier,
but it was not till 1874 that any con
5adGi 0OlC aAtCukAb8a WIS diOU5Ga+ AtnA-
ing the latter year news nf ravages came
almost simultaneous from Massachusetts,
New York and New jersey
The insect has long been known in Eu
rope, where, however, it does not injure
carpets or other wooden fabrics. Its TODD
there is said to be dried meats and SINH
lar animal substances; and, as the harm
which il DOES in its old home is trifling,
so little has been written about it that
any one vino has tried to look up It's his
tory has been puzzled on finding It's very
name and existence not even mentioned
in chronological works of high repute
Since its importation it has acquired
fresh vigor, and new appetite to cores
pond. Its scientific name is Antarenus
scr0phHlariRs. Just when it .'came over
is unknown. A rilatiye If the carpet bug,
4BthreHus sarius, was imported many
years ago from Europe, where as here, 1t |