Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-28
WOMAN'S WORLD
THE SUMMER PESTS OF THE HOUSE
AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM.

An Autograph Skirt-The Queens Three
Daughters = Carmen sylva's Health.
A Woman Doctor of Phiiosophy-An
Exasperating Creature.
There is scarcely any household
scourge that brings with it more annoy
ance than the insect tribe; the very fact
that the troublesome agents are in many
cases minute seems to invest them with
. greater power of trying the patience
of the most long suffering housewife.
The appalling regularity, too, with
which the enemy invades orr dwellings,
is, to say the least of it, extremely per-
picking; what with the black beetle
(whose season" has no limit, the faith
full fly, the annual moth, to say nothing
of red ants, mice and homely fieas, our
life is not "a happy one." Methods
manifold of ridding ourselves of these
have been set before us, but still they
flourish undisturbed; the question to be
solved is not that of determination alone,
but the most effective way of keeping
them away.
First of all, it is important that all
wainscoting, window lodges and other
parts of the room where cracks may pre-
vail should be thoroughly overhauled
and closed with putty, well pressed in
and slightly mixed with vitriol if neces-
sary. That sounds commonplace RENE
dy, and yet it is an infallible one, great
ly lessening the invasion of the in
truders. Insects of all kinds, and most
of the small winged tribe, can effectu-
ally be kept off by rubbing all the wood
work of the rooms, bedsteads, etc., with
a solution of vitriol, the strength of
which can be increased in obstinate
cases by adding to it an infusion of
colocynth or bitter apple. 1t leaves no
mark on the wainscoting, etc., and can
easily be done with fat whitewashing
brush. Worms in wood, red ants, etc.,
will infallibly be destroyed if this is
DONE
The great objection to the common fly
killers is their ungainliness or general
ugliness; papers in plates are far from
ornamental, while the inartistic bottles,
with openings underneath, through
which the poor things crawl to their
watery fate, are positively aggressive.
Papers nevertheless are very efficacious,
and it is perhaps not generally recog-
nized that the higher they are placed the
more flies they will attract. It is there
fore quite possible to distribute one or
two out OF sight on bookcase or ward
robe. They should be slightly moistened
and changed as soon as the water be-
comes discolored.
Another remedy could be kept in one
or two of the ornamental cups or bowls
which are found in almost every apart
ment, whether it be study, reception
n0om or bedroom, and is prepared as
follows: Grind two ounces of pepper
freshly for the purpose, mix it well with
four ounces of brown sugar and stir it
all into one pint of infusion of quassia.
Keep it well corked in bottle, store it
In cool place and pour small guam
tity only when wanted into some small
receptacle. Some folks hold that flies
will never congregate in room contain
ing castor oil plant. That may be, but
on the other hand it attracts the green
Fly in most marked manner, SO that
this remedy would not be without q
drawback.
The eucalyptus plant certainly is a
good preventive and, unless the leaves
be deliberately squeezed, emits no OBJ
lectionable odor. Sachets of the same
are very strongly recommended, but
presumably those who tried that par
ticular remedy for disinfecting purposes
during the influenza plague will remem-
Der the all pervading powers of that
particular oil. Of course one great
thing is to keep the blinds down while
the sun is full on oom.-London
Queen. ~