The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-04-28
CONCERNING MOTHS.
How to Prevent Their Development ana
How to Destroy Them.

How to Prevent Their Development ana
How to Destroy Them.
Prevention is the means most to be
recommended for escaping annoyance
from moths. The ordinary clothes
moth may be overcome with various
remedies, but when the carpet-beetle, or
buffalo moth, as it is called, takes pos
session of a house, it is difficult to exter-
inmate.
1t is the part of prudence to brush
and clean furs and wooden garments and
pack them away early in the spring be-
fore the moths begin to fly and deposit
eggs. First brush and beat them lightly
until sure that they are clean; then
paste them up perfectly tight in stout
brown paper bags, or sew them up
securely in linen, remembering that the
small, thin clothes-moth can enter
throug oh a very slight opening. Be
sure there are no holes or lmperfec-
tons in the bags and the contents will
be safe.
| Camphor gum, red cedar chips. to.
I bacco leaves and other strong-smelllng
| substances will sometimes prevent
moths from depositing eggs, and it is
we'll to put something OF the kind
among garments packed away in trunks,
chests or drawers But this is not to be
depended upon like sealing up securely.
as described above.
In badly infested house the buffalo
moth preys upon furs and woolens, but
it is especially troublesome on account
of the damage it : pes to carpets and the
difficulty of protecting the latter. The
buffalo grub eats along the edges of car
pets, generally not going more than
two feet from the wall, but will often
follow a crevice in the flooring for
yards. eating quite through the carpet
above it. As an excellent preventive to
carpets not infested, it has been recon-
mended to seal up all cracks in the
flooring (Which afford hiding places fol
the larva) with hot wax or tallow
Then lay down strips Of gas-tar roofing
paper. eighteen inches wide under the
edges of the carpet. When there are
many of these insects beneath a carpe
there is probably no better way to de
stroy them than to apply benzine freel.
with brush or feather along all crew
ices of the flooring and around tn
base board. Use benzine with caution
on account of it's inhammability. Thi
destroys the insect in whatever stage i
may be.
4 remedy very successful for the com
mon moth is to sprinkle water on tn
carpet wherever the moths arc at work
then lay damp sheet over it and iro
with a hot iron. The steam penetrate
: the carpet and destroys the larvae. I
destroy them in closets where the larv'
are hidden away in cracks, fumigatio
,, with sulphur is the readiest methot
Some housekeepers affirm that mott
. may be kept out of a room by occasion
; ally burning sulphur in it. Stuffed flu
niture is often protected by having III
dissolved carbolic acid packed inside
It should be used with care. Pyrethrun
{ or Persian insect powder, applied thicl
ly under the edge of carpets is effic
cious against the ordinary moth, b
!, totally fails to keep out the buffalo mot
= In fact the various remedies in use +
: moths are of little avail against TIL
. Benzine, or kerosene, and tallow see
!. thus far the best remedies discovered.
N Y World.