The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-07-26

The bedbug (acanthia lectularia) has
found its way wherever man has pushed, !
and is TOO well known to need descrip- |
tion. Its odor and the effects Of Its
bites are as universally known, and the
word ''bed5uggy' has entered cur litera-
tnre as descriptive OF q particular class
of odors. The original home of the pest
is probably southeastern Europe and the
Asiatic and African countries around the
eastern end of the Mediterranean. 1t
was introduced into England at least as
early as 1902 and doubtless reached
America soon aft1r ex ensivc Settle nent.
Certain English writer's have Gndeavored
to father The pest on america, but there
is strong evidence that i. was known to
Atistophanes. D%ioscroides, Piiny and
Aristotle.
The adult bug ia well adapted from its
flattened shase" to entering morrow crew
ices in the joints of bedsteads Or ctacks
in walls or other convenient places Of
concealment. In such places the females
lay their esgs. These eggs are white, of
an oval form, lightly narrowed at one
end, and are Terminated by . cap which
breaks of when TIC young escape. The
young bugs are whitish and at first
nearly transparent.
Adult bugs have been known to remain
alive for more than a year without a
siugie meal. 1t is this fasting capacity,
for hiding, which renders it 50 difficult to
! tlarn,,nbI,r l,.,pfnnt NV ingaatul hn,,,o
Here bep2ine must be our strongest
atomizer it will penetrate the minulest
cracks, and is sure death to the insect in
ali its stages. including the egg. 1t is a
certain remedy, and used thoroughly will
destroy every bug in the house. Kero-
sene is almost az good, and ia q little
more lasting in lis effects. Many pre-.
v~antatives have been advised, but none
are permanent. Due of the best 70, muIas,
Gays Good Housekeeping, FOR a substance
with which to paint the cracks in a bed.
stead or the wall is L ounce corrosive
suhlimatc, half. pint alcohol, and one.
quarter pint spirits of iurpcntine.
The red ant il rot wholly bad. 1t has
one ltdeel1ing trait and that is that il
viii ~(although perhaps under eXceptiona
conditions) dsttio3 bedbugs. Has any
one ever known q h use ogeTrun with rec
ants in which heibugs We're common a
the same time? | think not. One of my
assistGgts, Mr.. Psrgande, had an oppor
tunity at Meri5ian, Miss, during the wal
of seeing an old building used as a bar
racks and filed with bedbugs invafed by
countless numbers of red ants. Severa
r ants would stack q tull grown bedbug
s pull of iis legs an! carry away The help
! less body. 1hey penetrated s:ar closes
cracks of TIC rGu4i, beds and dragged
/, out old and young bugs and eggs. Their,
/ Is, then, some slight consolation in hav
i ing the ants about ones house, but witt
care and cleanliness, especially at tn
. north, there is no excuse for the occur
e renee Of either pest.
: The red ant" as this insect is almos
universally called, is another of tn
8 household pests which we seem to ow
TO the older civilization OF Europe, and
i ike the other domestic pests, it has be
n come almost cosmopolitan. 1t has geneI
: ally been considered CT North American
o. gin, and is looked upon as one of th
few American species which has becom
. wide spread in Europe.
a great number of remedies have bee
s proposed IN The household columns o
varlous journals, but nearly all Deepen,
n upon the use of a mixture of some sor
5 for trapping the ants, and at the best At
g sl0w and tsGions mcansof warfare. III
/ hest OF those with which have had an,
S experience consists in placing small Bit
Of apoDge Iaoistened with sweetcne,
water in the spots where tie ants mos
s do congrega,ct collecting the sponge
5ace s. day on so, soaking them in nc
9 water, snd then Replacing them. Smal
bits of bread and poisoned molasses, @
T smsi! vessels of lard in which a fe,
drops Of oXalic acid have been put hav
also been recommended, as wen as III
free use of borax, so often advised 70
8 %roaehes. The people Of the souther
states suffer more from these pests tina
we do " the north, and a Floridian .
/ experience (Mr, G, G. Cone, of Crescen
Cily,) recommends . mixture of bora
j and sugar well mixed with boiling waite
and left here and there on bits of broke
% rrOckErV.