St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-06-18
PEST PLAGUE OF A CHURCH.
A Baltimore Congregation II Going
to Raise Money to Destroy
SwaFmlnR Insects.

The rector, congregation and Sunday
school of the Protestant Episcopal
Church of All Saints are almost in de-
spair over an ever-increasing pest of
winged bugs, which have made the
lower rooms practically useless. The
bugs are here, there and everywhere in
the Sunday school rooms, and they are
not numbered by hundreds or by thou
sands, but by millions. The supply
seems to be ineNhaustible. They eat
their way through the flooring, put
holes in the carpet, and spread them
selves over the floor so thickly as to
cover it in places. No one seems to
know what they are, being totally diff
fcrent from the general run of insect
pests that infest the households of Bal
timore. Nest IF the congregation
know the unwelcome settlers. for they
are not mere visitors, as winged ants.
Their bodies are very dissimilar from
the general run of ants, however, though
they crawl very much like the indus
trious little fellows which the careful
housekeeper is always on the lookout
for. The most peculiar part of the bug,
outside of his audacity in taking up his
residence in church, is his wings.
These are two in number, about twice
the length of the body of the insect,
which is black in color, and about the
size of an ordinary ant. The wings,
however, are white in color. When his
bugship first makes his appearance
through the floor of the church he is
equipped with these flying facilities,
but his first fly is nearly always fatal
to his rising ambition. Before he has
gone many feet through the air his
wings suddenly d 4p off. and the aston
ished bug drops rapidly to earth.
Do they bite? is question that has
caused more than one animated debate,
but one thing is certain-that the Sun
day school is very restless when the
bugs are out in force. They have a de-
moralizing tendency on the children
also. and more attention is often given
to the bugs than to the lessons. One
little fellow. who is we'll up on the vul.
garisms of the day, told his teacher last
Sunday that All Saints church had got
ten extremely bughouse, and this caused
much merriment. The pests became sc
bad toward the close of last Sundays
session that the children had to be
taken into the upper rooms of the
church.
Rev. DIR. Edward W. Wroth, the rec
tor OF the church. in speaking of the
matter recently. said that the insects
first made their appearance about foul
years ago. They generally begin tt
give trouble about the first part oi
April, and last until the first real ho1
weather of summer sets in. Every yea'
they have become worse and worse. un
til now they are practically countless
At times the carpet of the infant elias:
is white with them. In addressing {
meeting of the Woman's mission the
other day Rev. DIR. Wroth was firs'
obliged to send for the sexton to sweeI
great mass of the bugs off the plat
form. Insect powder was tried some
time ago. but, although many were
killed, the bugs still increased in mum
ber. 1t was decided to pour coal OF
down the cracks of the floor at one time
but this was given up, as had the church
burned down no insurance could hav,
been obtained.
Money is now being raised for ex
tensive improvements. with the inten
ton of getting rid of the bugs. The en-
tire flooring will be torn up and layel
of concrete put in to keep the bug
from getting through. New boards vii
be put over this. The south wall of th'
church will also be torn out. and new
addition. II by $50 feet, added. There
are over 200 children in the Sunda,
school, and the enlargement was neces
sary for comfort.-Baltimore American