Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-29

tue reu anu, winch PROBABLY received It's sch
entifc name of 'Pharaohs ant on account Of
defective knowledge of Scripture on the part
of its describer, who doubtless imagined that
ants formed one of the plaques of Egypt,
whereas the only chronological affection men.
toned in the Bible as attacking Egypt were lice,
flies and loeusts.
"A house badly infested with these creatures
is almost uninhabitable. The only thing par
ticularly worth mentioning about them is the
manner in which they may be got rid of. The
first thing is to find the point from which they
come-that is to say, where their nest is If
they have built the nest in some accessible spot
little kerosene will quickly dispose of the
trouble. But If the nest is in the wall or under
the floor, and taking up board will not bring
1t within reach. find the nearest accessible point
and devote your energies to killing the ants off
as they appear. Where the nests are outside
the house nothing is easier than to find them
and destroy them with kerosene. The nests are
almost always III the immediate vicinity of the
house. The insects are peculiarly susceptible
to the effects OF Persian insect powder.
TRAPPING ANTS.
"Such household remedies as have heard pro-
posed are not usually successful depending as
they do generally upon trapping the ants BY the
employment of one seductive mixture or an
other. The best of these, so far as l know.
consists in placing small bits OF sponge i'm the
spots where the ants most do congregate, col
Letting the sponges once a day or so, soaking
them In hot water and then replacing them.
But the animal seems to breed with such
enormous fecundity that the killing off of a few
thousand has little effect'on the apparent num-
bers. The people of the southern states suffer
much from these pests. and experienced
persons in those attitudes have recommended
mixture of borax and sugar left here and
there hrnkan II
know nothing of the value of this remedy.
THE BLACK ANTS.
"Another kind of ant which has given much
annoyance to people in Washington is a larger
black or brownish creature that often builds
its nests SO close to houses az to become a seri-
Gus nuisance, getting into the rooms. and even
making its way into clothes, SO as to be
a personal discomfort. A case was
brought to my notice two years
ago In this city, where fine old
homestead was on the point of being sold on
account Of the annoyance caused by these
ants. An investigation showed one enormous
nest several feet in diameter in the back ward,
and several colonies here and there in other
parts of the premises. The large colony was
completely destroyed by the Use of bisulphide
OF carbon. A teaspoonful was poured down
| each of a number of openings, and a damp
blanket was thrown over them for a few
minutes. Then, the blanket being removed,
the bisulphide was exploded at the mouth of
each hole by means of light at the end of a
pole. The slight explosions drove the poison
GUS fumes down through the underground
tunnels. killing off the ants in enormous num-
bers. The main source of the trouble being
thus destroyed. the nuisance was greatly les
sened, and all talk of selling the old place has
ceased.
People in Washington who cultivate flower
beds from year to year. particularly along old
fences. are apt to find these beds become filled
with the nests of the black ants. The insects
can easily be got rid of with a little effort.
Kerosene is the appropriate remedy, and it
| should be employed with a watering pot after
dusk. when the ants have gone to bed and it is
still light enough to see their holes. If the
first application of this cure does not entirely
dispose of the mischief, two OF three more
| trials should be made at intervals Of few
days"