The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-02
go TO THE ANT
THOU SLUGGARD'
In This Case Should Read go For
the Ant use-Keepers,"
PROFESSOR MARLATT'S ADVICE.
He is Thoroughly Posted on the Habits
Of the Little Pests and Gives Some
Seasonable Advice as 10
Their determination.

go 10 the ant. thou sluggarG; consider
his ways and be wise" was the injunc-
ton OF the Sage of Israel. Professor G.
J.. Marlatt. the first assistant entomolo-
es. al the Agricultural Department. IS
nos sluggard. but he has acted on the
advice Of Solomon.
GOOD ADVICE
Through the medium Of a circular just
issued from the Division Of Entomology
he endeavOrs 90 add 70 the wisdom OF
hOusekeepers who are more disposed 20
regard the proverbial energy Of the d.
minutive "husters" in the light Of a nuis-
ance than as a subject for philosophi-
cal thought. So the part Of the paper
which deals with the eradication or the
insects will be OF greater interest TO
them.
4 little description OF the creature and
its habits may not. however, be without
interest
THREE SPECIES.
To be exact. We should refer 10 the
three species Of the ant dealt with In the
napor as m0nomorium pharaonis, mono
morium minutum and tetramorium caes-
Ditum. Too much time would be con-
sumed however. and IL will answer as
well 10 refer 20 them respectively as the
rcd ant. the little black ant and the pave
rnent ant. the latter being found on the
Atlantic seaboard.
THOROUGHLY DOMESTICATEp.
Mr. Marlatt gravely asserts that the
former has become thoroughly doinesil-
Gated. Few will take issue with MN on
chat. He has evidently formed a close
porsonal acquaintance with the httle rds'
Gals FOR hardly has he opened his guns
lam the liliputian enemy-in the fourth
sentence. I'm fact-When he says No"7
az these ants are 50 destructive TO mousse
hold effects or SUPPLIES as they are am
moving from the mere fact or their pres
euce and their faculty or getting lh'o
articles OF food. particularly sugars sy-
runs and other sweets. HAVING Once
rained access TO stores Of this SORT lne
rows Of the discovery is at once con
yeved 10 the colony and In am mcredl-
hl,. short time the premises are swarm
ing with these uuwelc0me visitors.
RIVAL. THE CIRCULATION LIARS.
,rho Colonization bureau does it's work
.es,rtrsliv and I'm their widest dreams
tbe circulation liars Of the yellow jour
,sls do not conceive such thorough dis
sorninatiou of news And no frigid' snow
,i,d Cbukoot stands between the ants
and their Klondyke.
OF SIMILAR HABITS.
Continuing Mr.. Marlatt says
Tn habits and life history these ~
.ro an much alike and in common with
other social insects present tnat mos
cor,nlov and interesting phase OF commu-
rsI no with it's accompanying division
Of labor and diversity Of forms OF indl-
viduals an working together I'm the most
,arfocf harmony and accord. The speci-
Mons ordinarily seen I'm houses are all
nei,ters or workers. In the colony ITSELF
N h be discovered and opened viii be
sound also the larger wingless females
and at the proper season. the winged
males and females During most or the
year. however. the colony consists almost
exclusively OF workers with one or more
perfect wingloss females.
WEDDING TRIP OK WINGS.
Winged m1lss and females are produc-
cd during trs summer and almost imme-
diately take ,hcir nuptial flight The
males soon perish. and the females short
ly afterward tear off their own wings,
which are but feebly attached, and set
abodt the establishment Of new colonies.
The eggs. which are produced in eXtraor-
binary numbers by the usually solitary
queen mother, are very minute oval,
workers the young larvae being fed I'm
very much the same way as I'm the colo
MES of the hive bee. The so-called ant
eggs. in the popular conception are not
eggs at all but the white larvae and
pupae. and. IL OF females or males, are
much larger than the workers and many
times larger than the true eggs.
"As "A house species the red ant is the
common one. 10 is practically cosmopoIi-
tan. and IT'S exact origin IS unknown.
This species nesting habitually in the
walls OF houses or beneath flooring, is
often difficult 70 eradicate. There Is no
means OF doing this except % locate the
nest by following the workers back 20
their point OF disappearance. IL In wall
the inmates Of the nest may sometimes
be reached by injecting bisulph.de OF car
bon or q lttle kerosene IL under flooring.
10 may sometimes be possible 10 get at
them by taking up section. Unless the
colony can DE reached and destroyed, an
other measures Will be Of only temporary
| avail"
Mr.. Marlatt says when the little black
ants get into houses they can often DE
traced TO the little pyramids which mark
their excavations and these colonies de-
stroyed preventing further trouble.
WORST OF ALL
The greatest nuisance of all when they
! find their way into houses are the pave
ment ants-the common meadow ants of
| Europe Their abode is usually under
! payements or stones In yards. Some nat
| uralist supposed 20 have been Benja-
| min Franklin. discovered that these ants
| have methods of communicating with one
another Drenching the nests with boil
| ing water or kerosene oil IS an effective
/ method OF abating the nuisance. but usu-
| ally new colonies soon take the places oil
| those destroyed.
There are several other ants closely re-
| semblng this last, mostly species o.
| Lasius, some foreign and some native
| which form large colonies IN yards
throwing up earthen ant hills, beneath
which are extensive systems OF under
! ground galleries. These may often gel
into nearby houses and become quite a.
| troublesome as the ants already mention
ed.
HOW TO DESTROY THEM
In the foregoing account. the important
| remedies for each species OF ant discussed
have been briefly indicated. more de-
! tailed description of some Of the methoo'
Of control or determination 70
| Excellent success has been had y de
| stroying these ants with the use o.
bisulphide Of carbon applied in theii
nests This substance, IL is believed. wa
first used against ants by DR.. Howard
in the summer Of 1856. The method con
ssts In pouring an ounce or two or th'
| b.sulphide into each Of a number OF holes
made In the nest with a SICK, promptly
closing the holes with the foot. IN
| bisuiDhlde penetrates through the under