Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-09-07
Toads and Bats.

AZ a result of experiments with
toads and bats, it mas been demonstra-
ted that house, OF even \ communi-
ty, can be rid Of various troublesome
insects, including flies and mosquitoes.
These experiment. were made by Prof,
Clinton F. Hodge of Clark University,
Worcester, Mass. Prof Hodges first
experiment was with the toad. Il
constructed a small pen IN my gar
den, he said, "ani in it, in pan Of
water, installed a male and female
toad. To attract food for them
placed within the inclosure bits Of
meat and bone. The results were as
satisfactory as they were unexpected.
The toads spent most OF the ums sit
ting within reaching distance Of the
bait and killing the flies attracted by
it. I watched one toad snap up
eighty-si1 house flies in less than ten
minutes.
"One day I gathered quantity Of
rose bugs in tin box and begsn to
feed the bugs to a toad. At first l
did not count, but, finding his appe-
tite so good, : started to count.
When I had counted over eighty bugs
and the toad showed no signs OF wish
ing to conclude his meal, l picked him
up. Previous to my beginning to
count he had taken anywhere from
ten to twenty bugs.
I found the toad equally greedy for
rose beetles, canker worms, ants, cat
erpillars, moths, June bugs, weevI''
snails and many other Insects. So,
too, house, room may be cleared
Of cockroaches by leaving toad In It
over night
"a single toad may destroy over
1000 worms during the months OF
May, June and July, and one Of these
harmless creatures may well do a
gardener service to the amount Of Sl9.-
8S each season, and yet he can raise
800, 900 worth Of toads at an expense
Of not more than twenty cents.
Farmers in England buy them,
paying as high as $24 per 100, for use
in their flower beds and gardens. For
household purposes small number OF
to.ds could be given homes IN an
aquarium. At night the toads could
be let loose to kill bugs, while in the
day they could kill flies. | have
built a sort of cage Of wire screen,
foot wide and two feet long, the top
Of which is kept open. 1t isonly nee
essary to put in two or three to'da'
provide them with shelter, dish OF
water in one corner, and then keep 1t
supplied with bits Of raw meat and
any other refuse matter calculated to
attract flies"
In speaking of tn. bat Prof. Hodge
said "We have no animal more IN
teresting aud probably none more val
uabl., and certainly none more mlsun-
derstood and abused, than the bat,
They are easily tanned, absolutely
harmless. when gently handled, and
make pets as funny as tiny monkeys.
AS destroyers Of many Of our most
pestilerous night-dying insects, ike
mosquitoes, the bat IS almost our sole
dependence, and, az he is known to
hunt insect. afoot, as well as on the
wing, he Is also Of some value for
larvae that DO not fly.
my attention was called to the
bat through the Goblin moth, the IN
sect to blame for most worm-eaten ap-
pl.s. In an orchard near my home
found nine Of the grubs Of this insect
in minute. CHANGING to go into
another orchard, hardly mile away,
I found only four Of the grubs IN an
hours search. There is an old barn
near by, in which live colony of be-
tween s.venty-fve and one hundred
bats. The owner informed me that
his apples were always free from any
worms.