Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-07-27
The BnnalO Bug.


known which has sny effsct on that
mysterious little round black buffalo or
carpet moth, which eats in straight
lines, not only across carpets, but dress
es, silks. velvets, etc. When they are
suspected the floors and cracks should
be thoroughly saturated with sublimate
of double Strengthens tablespoonful
in quart OF boiling water. Then the
carpets should be brushed with the
weaker solution. This, with great vig-
ilauce in watching for and destroying
them will finally exterminate them.
Buffalo moths do not come from the lit
tie white millers, as many enormously
suppose, but from curious little beetle
which il, in shape and habits. like a
lady-1ug. The lady. bug, We all know,
Is red, with black snots; but the little
bug which causes tte buffalo moth Is
black, with red ans white spots, or red
spots, aud a whitish line down the mid
die of its back, and is rather smaller
than lady bug, Early in the spring
they began to creep out on the sunny
window sills. If you watch for and
carefully destroy them, you will be
saved much after trouble, as the little
round, black furry creatures are far
moro destructive than the common
moths. A hat worn one day, for in
STANCE, and returned to its box on the
closet floor, may be taken out the next
to find large round hole in the black
silk lining. When discovered he makes
off very rapidly. If he had chan ICED to
have been left two or three days
the whole lining would have been
riddled. If these little creatures are
known to be in the house, one must
keep cons tantly on the lookout, as they
appear in very unexpected places, pos
sibly in the centre of package of en-
velopes, or in box of laces unopened
for few days. Dresses or clothes in
closets must be taken down and brushed
thoroughly two or three times week.
They seem to haunt particular spots,
though one can find no reason for that
particular spot being chosen. Turpen-
tine or benzine only scatter them, but a
strong solution OF corrosive sublimato
destroys them. The corrosive sublimate
mixture may be prepared as follows:
In a wide mouthed earthen jar las the
sublimate, if dissolved in tin, forms an
oxide which makes very bad stain)
dissolve one tablespoonful powdered
corrosive sublimate in two quarts boil
ing water. If done at night it will be
ready to use in the morning. This being
Z deadly poison, the jar should be un-
mistakably labelled, both with label
pasted on and tag, plainly written on
both sides, tied on to the handle, and it
should be kept carefully covered. The
person using it must always wear gloves,
as a slight scratch would be made very
sore from it. They must take great
care not to touch the face or eyes,
either with the gloves on or before
washing the hands, after taking them
off. When possible, it is better TO use
1t out of doors, ana always with whisk
brush, kept only for the purpose.
Hang email rugs etc.. oyer q
line, dip tho whisk into the liquid,
shaking it all off against the in
side of the jar, and then
carefully brushing the piece
over both on the right and wrong sides,
not using enough sublimate to make it
wet, but only slightly to damp the out
side. 1t may be used anywhere where
you fear moths, and on the most deli.
cate things without lnjuring them.
Some delicate crimson satin parlor fur
niture was brushed over with this prep
aration, care being used to brush the
under side of the chairs also, then
it was covered with old muslin,
wrapped in newspapers and
stored years, when 1t was
un packed. At the end of that time, a
dustpan full of dead moth millers were
brushed off from it, but the furniture
was unin jured, the sublimate having
poisoned the milers as fast as they
hatched. The walls and shelyes Of
closets should be thoroughly brushed
over with it, and any not-easily- gotten-
at cracks where dust collects and pea.
cock feathers or anything else in the
leather line, including stuffed birds,
feather busters, etc.
Tar piper, red pepper, turpentiae.
camphor, snuff, tobacco, ETC., are all
very we'll for keeping moths out, but
they will mono of them prevent ths
hatching Of moths, and the consequent
ravages of the moths, for it is not the
moths which get into things after being
carefully put away which usually eau Q
the trouble, but the Matching of the
eggs which chance to have been put
away in the things. Therefore, everything
should be carefully summed, brushed and
thoroughly whipped or beaten before
putting away, thus very materially les
sening the chances of putting away eggs
to make trouble afterwards. If this
could be done in March, before the wee
little white millers, which cause all the
trouble, commence to fly, there would
be little or no danger from moths, but
with our very changeable springs warm
garments are needed until later.
AS moths do not like printers ink,
they rarely attempt to penetrate any
thing wrapped in newspapers. The
trunk into which the winter garments
are to be put should also be brushed in
side with corrosive sublimate. Then, il
each garment is done up In newspapers,
or they are carefully put between, a
moth which may chance to hatch
in one garment will not GO
through the whole trunk, but will
be obliged to confpe its ravages ia
its own particular package. OF course,
delicate things must be first wrapped In
tissue paper. A little qlmphor gum
,hould be scattered throuJ Jh the trunk.
II houqek.epers will cut this slip out
and carefully preserve it for reference, it
will save their own time and the editor s
when they como to need the informa-
tion next season,