The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05
TROUBLESOME INSECTS.
Useful and Interesting Information for.
H0usekeepers.
Boston Transcrint.l

nVHseheepeTS.
| boston Transcript
At meeting OF the Boston Society Of
Natural History. held last evening, DR..
Il. A. Hagen, OF Cambridge, read an In
teresting paper upon the carpet beetle.
and other house pests. He said that
when the insect first appeared in this
country, six years ago, he succeeded In
tracing all the cases which came under
mis- notice to large carpet store, where
there was stock OF imported carpets.
The lecturers name appeared In the
papers In connection with the subject.
and he has since been In receipt OF mn.
merous bad-smelling packages, with
letters claiming each to be the newest
and most effectual remedy. In some
foreign countries 80 widespread are the
ravages OF the insect that even the.
habits OF dress have been altered In
| consequence. 1t has attacked not only
WOODEN articles, but furs and raw hides. I
The speaker passed around among the
audience specimens OF the larva and
full fiedged beetle. The process OF
development occupies about FIVE or six
weeks. As remedy, the speaker said.
many things have been recommended.
but none OF them resulted In sure
recommended. Now, I think. said The.
speaker, II anybody should try to drive
out OF his house all that he dislikess
by bad smells, he will finish bv
being driven out himself: besides
that several OF the remedies recon-
mended are certainly not Of an innox-
ious character. Next, the Wholesale APP
plication OF kerosense and benzine was
recommended, only i've gallons or more
for small cottage. II fills certain that
every carpet bug drowned In kerosense
or benxlne is done forever, think it is
not considered that in the use of those
and kindred liquids the insurance COM
panies would nave something to say.
and certainly not be Obliged to pay III
case Of accident. / know one case Ia
which such things were used with
the cat could be induced to enter the
room for many weeks. Think the best
way to be followed would be first to pre-
vent the entrance OF the insect, There-
fore, every new carpet or rug should be
considered az dangerous, and treated
as the old ones: that is, exposed In the
open cir. IN sunshine. IL possible, as
strongly beaten before laid In the rooms.
The common custom, to order new car.
pets In the store and lay them directly
In the rooms, is apparently the moet
dangerous course to be pursued. Fur
thtr, as 1t Ii observed that the beetles
BY preference follow the cracks In the
floor, all should be made tight, or at
least filled with tallow. The talIow ID
very dangerous substance for the lar
vp and eagerly avoided by them, as the
lat easily attaches to the spiracles
with killing effect. Therefore, the
most common candle tallow, being soft
Dr., is better than purified. For the same
purpose. should recommend taIlowed
paper TO be put along the walls, only
DOT or TWO underneath the carpets. az
ust the places near the walls are their
most chosen abode. or course care
al and more frequent inspection OF the
,arpets will be necessary IL the number
" larvG seems to be In any way alarm
ng. / think 1t will be impossible to get
10 OF them entirely, but 1t will be Ger.
a1nly possible to keep them within linz
to, 30 that they will be not more dan
serOus than any other house pest. 1T L.
n experience since Biblical times that
somebody happens to be something
4 rogue, anything wrong committed
y any one else is put on his Shoulders.
me poor carpet-bug is an instance Of
his. The family OF Ayst]arenus lis an old
nd rather large one, and there exists
many cousins In the fifth or later degree.
rho try to prove their relationship in
eng as obnoxious IN the same line, and
M perhaps more. One GrTjere cousin.
ltt0genals Megat0n1n, Is really as COM
ION az the carpet-bug, despising no.
ning In his way, and being more swift
No smart, Is at least equally az in
1rlous. Those beetles have propa-
ated In the last years enormously
houses and collections Of objects OF
atural history. One large beetle In
collection here In Boston harbored
lone. $50 OF these insects. I have.
1erefore,. the conviction that perhaps
all OF all the damage credited to the
arpec bug, and sometimes more, is
one Dy a. Meg1tODln, the cousin. Re-
ardiDg the habits Of insects In general.
ne speaker said we often suffer from
eri0dfcal inroads Of one variety or
notner. About century ago the Hes
an ny vas 30 numerous In this coun-
y as Eto be great nuisance. The
'rmer's enemy, the canker-worn1, ig
eginntng. to get uncomfortable since
le Introduction OF the English spar
Nv. New England has been remarka-
~ free from the common flea, which
parts OF this and In nearly all for
gn countries is very numerous. The
cturer INDUCED in the, not very en-
ing receive q VISIT from this natural
,emy OF man. In Poland. the para
se Of neas, the remedy used Is simple
Id effective. Il consists OF q large
.sin Of water set In a room at night.
Id In the centre OF 1t a lighted candle
placed. The feas are attracted to the
yht, fall into the water and are
owned. In the morning the water
III be black with them. 1t is to be
ped that we shall not soon be COM
lied to resort TO this extremity.
When the late Mr.. McNab, curator OF
, Edinburgh Botanical Gardens, was
zen TO see Dubufe's picture Of adam
Eve, he pointed out that the firgt
man was tempting the frat man uith