The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-08-30
The Buffalo Bug.

THE INSECTS WONDERFUL TENACIrY OF
| LIFE.
My hrst experience with the tiny torment
was in the summer Of 1879. While way away
on visit, my husband found that his dressing
| grown, which had fallen to the floor in the
closet, had been eaten by something, and he
found The little creature that had eaten it and
described it to me. In my ignorance | smiled
at his description and asserted that it must
| have been IA moth
| thought no more about the matter until a
Year later when lady visiting at my house
| found queer looking little creature feeding
| upon a choice bit OF flannel in her trunk. We
had then Just begun to hear Of the buffalo bug,
and after consultation decided that the Great
| IRE was III cur midst. | knew then what ate
The dres>ng-%oWn, as my husbands de>crip-
ton Tailed exactly with the appearance Of this
one.
| found occasional ones for several wears but
they gave me no great uneasiness. as at that
time. We bad not heard much about their raw
ages. III The fall of 1888 ! opened pasteboard
boN III which was packed some dried grasses
| and discovered one of the bugs. put my fin
ger upon him to find out if he WAS endowed
with life. when the hairy coat burst open and a
.eaulltuI little beetle issued forth. He was the
first had seen, and an attractive little creature
III his deilcately spotted coat of black. white
and red-but his good looks didn't save him.
since that time have seen him in all gui>eS
and seasons, and he has feasted upon every
thing the h ousc contains. from SUNDAY clothes
to old pie plates. He appears to be fond OF
frcqucnling dish closets As have several times
found him in mine. where there is nothing
more attractive than empty dishes and shelf
paper Perhaps he lives in the hope of having
the dishes filled with some delicate tilbits some
day. have heard of people living on faith
ana even charity-Why should not the buffalo
bug live OH hope: That he can live upon
something a. un>ub>tantial can testify. AS
have Kept one in Il glass vial for three months
with no means Of substance except an oeca-
>onal draGGht of fresh air admitted when nn-
corked the bottle 10 see if he still lived. The
only change perceived was shedding of the
coat three times and at each change he grew
"beaulifuly less" | have always regretted
that did not keep him long enough 10 di>coy-
er how smal! he could grow and live.
At another time | put two Of the bugs in IA
Nia ana gave theii-accoroing to superstition
"a piece of red woollcn yarn to feed upon. but
| couldn't see that they ate it. think. how
ever. that they have partially for the same. as
can usually find specimen or two under
each OF two mats that | have that are made
viii centres Of red woollen carpets.
nti recently have comfortcd myself with
the thought that when the carpets were eaten
up we would have straw mattings throughout
the house. and live in peace and comfort once
more. But alas, Vain hope! Last spring
when took up the mating in one chamber
found more buffalo bugs than in all the ooien
carpets in the house. had had my suspicious
that all was not well, a> last year found many
ltile beetles whenever swept.
the regular buffalo beetle is shaped much
like the lady bug hut is smaller and does not
look like il. as ! have sometimes heard. The
black and white Of it. coat are in about equal
proportions and well mixed. with occasional
red dot>.
~ to il appearance in the spring and dis
appearance ii the fall believe i'll bat one.
and That ! the former. He is like the poor
always With IL. ! think. though. that The
hrctia comes in the -pring or early summer.
=a'n> admitlance 10 our houses and scatters
e-g> broadcast, People who know not the
little beetle lave said. "why don't YOU screen
Honr house and keep them out" They don't
know the possibilities Of beetle and a small
cr"NIce. There are other people who, happily
have had 10 trouble a. yet with the pest. who
say 10 me. "Why. have ncier had any buffalo
bug>. hat | am refY rGtic'iGr in the care of
my house" That. OF course. is complimentary
TO me. hut | do not lay it III against them as |
might do il was not perfect. sure that their
time of trial would come
! have a> Vet had but little trouble with
trunks. boxes. hur0au drawers. etc. but find
the vermin under the edges of carpets. in
closet, aid store rooms. NV closet floors are
parercd closely with thick manila paper and
every week / remove the clothing. search the
rio>tS shake every article over 4 sheet and
return ii to place; also look through all boxes
contained III closets. and brush hats and on
ntl>. especially If there are feathers in the
trimmings Whenever / find the bugs too
numerous ,aturate the floor and the strips of
wood holding the hooks. with bcnzinc. The
odor i. OF course. very unpleasant while it
lasts. but soon disappears. aud it will certainly
Kill the creatures when it hits them. But il
docs not always hit them. Since the regular
">Iring cleaning have found several bugs on
the Straw mating before mentioned. and de-
ci',fd - glNe il 4 henZine BATH After giving
the room a thorough sweeping, and wipng up
all lu>l attcrward with damp cloth, .aturat-
od the edges and cracks between the brcadths
and shut the room up for three days. AT the
end of that time looked through it and found
two buffalo bugs cnSconced As costly under one
Of tbr mats a though henzne was never heard
of. Sometimes pour boiling water around
the ed-e of the carpets am, then dry with hot
irons, hut that i very laborou> and not 80
c"acot> the hcnzne. | think.
Keep ramphor. tobacco, ground cloves, etc.
-catterod through trunks and boxes. hoping
they may prevent INVASION Several wears AGO
We pinned oar faith oil black pepper. but one
of our neishbor- who went away for the SUM
mef and rolled her carpets up ina liberal guam
lity of the same, found upon her return that
the bug had literally fattened upon the pepper
and carpets. Two wears AGO salt WAS said to
be the great remedy and used it by the whole
sale; filled every crcVcc with it. and swept all
] cCu'd into the carpets, but i'll the fall when
the carpets came up, the bugs were still there.
and apparently happy. Late last spring after
It thorough airing and beating of our wolf
sleigh robe did it up closely in newspapers
and lut ii away in Box by itself. thinking
would not look at it until fall. But few
weeks ago felt impcllch to examine il. and
shook ont about twenty bugs. | then saturated
the box with Kerosene and after another
thorough brushing filed the robe with ground
Glove and replaced it, Have seen no bugs
since, bal momentlN expect to. NV store room
and attic lloor> have been literally soaked with
kerosene and naptha. and should the house
take fire it would 90 up i'll a blaze Of glory.
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