River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-09-08
A TERRIBLE INSECT.


The lee Worm and its Ravages Why
servant Girls should be Careful
Explanation of High Prices.
The ice dealers all over the country
are threatened with ruin. The gaunt
form of the wolf is at their door, and it
IS only a question of time how long
they will be able to hold out against the
ravages of new-discovered insect
which eats ice with as much facility and
enjoyment as boy does candy. This
is startling on its face, and at once ac-
counts for the high prices householders
have been paying this summer for the
CONCEALED article. although it was a
well-known fact that a rather fair crop
was gathered last winter. The ice men
have had a knowledge of the presence
OF this new enemy among them since
April, 1873, when steamer of the Red
Star line happened to strike an ice
berg in mid-ocean, and some of these
newfangled worms or ice chewers, chung
to it and were carried to this coun-
try, where they have rapidly multiplied.
A wellknown scientist, DIR. Otto
Hechelmeyer, says that these worms
We're classified by scientific men under
the name-the worms, not the men
of nematoxis eczema. When worm
with such name as this gets after q
block of ice, there is no hope for it OF
course. Prof Pintori, of the Smith
sonian institution, has been looking in
to the history of this terrible worm,
and he has discovered that it is the
caterpillar of an insect which he calls
the vespa eczema. but which he allows
plain, unlearned people to call the ice
wasp. 1t seems that these ice worms
abound up in the Arctic regions, where
they are busily engaged in clearing a
passage to the north pole, and the pro-
fessor thinks that in the course of from
two hundred and thirty to two hundred
and fifty years more they will have so
thoroughly gnawed away the ice in
that region that a trip to the pole will
become simply pleasant summer ex-
cursion. The formation of iceberge
has hitherto been something of a
puzzle to most people who could
not understand why these great frozen
monsters should break away from their
native moorings and go cruising around
the ocean until they get down south
and are thawed out of existence. But
Prsf. Pintori and DIR. Hechelmeyer
make this as plain as mud The dead
ly nematoris eocena sets his jaws at
work upon the Arctic glaciers and cuts
off these big icebergs just as readily as
a butcher cuts off the head of hog.
The destroyer's work does not end
here. He follows the fated iceberg
anG, bit by bit, gnaws off the bottom of
it until it becomes top-heavy and
lurches over; then he whites down the
top until it rights itself again, and so
Systematically and relentlessly pursues
this course that the poor, harressed
berge eventually succombs to the APP
petite of the gorged monster, and en-
tirely disappears within its capacious
NAV.
The nematoxis eczema, or ice hend,
is a peculiar worm, about six inches in
length. 1t is almost transparent and
can conceal itself IN block of ice
readily. Careless housemaids are apt
not to notice its presence when clean
ing the morning lump preparatory to
placing it in the cooler or refrigerator.
1t is through the ravages of these
worms that the ice melts so quickly,
and persons are apt to ascribe it to
defective manufacture of the ice-chest
or to careless wrapping of the frigid
lump.
Several of these ice wasps have been
secured at the house of one of the
largest companies in this city, and they
were sent to DIR. w. S. Ruschenberger,
eff the Academy of Natural Sciences,
with request that he furnish state
ment of their habits and suggest meth
cd for getting rid of them. Their bite is
said to be poisonous, and when in the
transition state from worm to insect they
are to be feared. Unless some means
are taken to rid the country of these
terrible nuisances, the ice crop may go
short this season, or be totally destroy
ed next winter.
Prof Pintori suggests plan to get
rid of these pests. He says the wasps
do not get in their work until after the
ice crop is harvested and stored away,
and they cannot stand the smell of
burning charcoal He therefore rec
ommends that, after an ice house has
been filled, it be surrounded by ring
of charcoal fires, which must be kept
continuously burning until the next
crop of ice is ready to be harvested.
For refrigerators and ice-boxes the
professor has another plan. The ice
wasps are particularly fond of molasses
and if they find any of this saccharine
material in their way, they will stop for
a little taste of it before proceeding to
business. He therefore recommends
that the top of the box or refrigerator
be smeared with molasses. The unsus-
pecting insect will alight to taste and
get his feet smeared with the syrupy
substance. 1t then resorts TO the ice,
but before it has time to bore a hole in
which to deposit its eggs, its sticky feet
freeze fast. Is is thus rendered help
less, and the ice is saved. Philadelphia
Record.
WI Il