The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-08-13
Aow ro eEr Hlp oF LIZ.
Pyrethrum Powder, Benzlne and soap
suds Suggested.

an Ddhit1 are iutntttlNt. 1 ht hi-
vision of entomology OF the depart
mont Of agriculture has investigated
the question. however and in a bull
letin--to be had for the asking-sug-
gests several ways of escape.
The heas which invade houses in
America are of the species known as
pulex serratlceps, whose favorite
dwelling is the hair Of dogs and cats
These animals bring the fleas into
houses. either directly or in the shape |
Of eggs. which fall to the floor when
ever the animal moves OF lies down.
After a cat has been sleeping on a
sheet OF paper the hea eggs may be
seen as minute white particles
The Cat and Dog Problem.
The government bulletin gives the
advice to the housekeeper who would
keep a pet dog OF cat and yet avoid
an outbreak Of heas in the house:
Provide rug for the cat or the
dog to sleep on and give this rug a
frequent shaking and brushing, after
wards. sweeping up and burning the
dust thus removed AS all the fea
eggs on an infested animal will not.
however, drop of in this way, and
those which remain on 1t viii prob
ably develop successfully. it will be
found wise to occasionally rtt into
the hair Of the dog or cat a quantity
of pyrethum powder If thoroughly
applied It viii cause the feas TO fall
OF in half stupefied condition. when
they. too. may be swept up and burn
ed"
Fleas multiply rapidly in houses
shut up for the summer. as the damp
ness is favorable to their growth and
as the interruption of the usual sweep
ings leave the eggs undisturbed to de-
velop.
The bulletin continues: "The larvae
of the dog and cat neas win not de-
velop sue sfully in situations where
they III Ne disturbed. The
use Of .arpets and straw mattings, in
our opinion, favors their development.
since the young larvae can penetrate
the interstices of either sort Of floor
covering and find an abiding place in
some crack where they are not likely
} TO be disturbed. 1t is comparatively
easy to destroy the insect in it's early
stages (when it Is noticed). as is
} shown by the difficulty Of rearing It,
but the adult feas are so active and
so hardy that they successfully resist
} any but the most strenuous measures
Even the persistent use of Cali
fornia buhach and other pyrethrum
} powders was Intellectual In one case
of extreme infestation, as was also
and more remarkably, a free sprink
D ling Of floor mattings with benzine
in this instance it was finally neces
sary to take up the floor coverings and
D wash the floors down with not soap
suds in order to secure relief from the
flea plague. In another case. how
. ever, a single liberal application Of
buhach was perfectly successful while
in a third a single thorough application
+ of benzine completely rid an infested
4 house of feas"
e How to Treat Houses.
/. In conclusion .the bulletin says,
Every house where a pet dog or ca
is kept may become seriously infested
r with fleas if the proper conditions O
{ moisture and freedom from disturb
ance exist. Infestation. however, Il
not likely to occur if the (bare) floor.
can be frequently and thorough,
swept. When an outbreak Of heai
g comes, however the easiest remedy t.
e apply is a free sprinltling of pyrethrun
/ powder in the infested rooms Thii
r failing, benzine may be tried, a thor
I ough spraying of carpets and floor
2. being undertaken. with the exercise
:. Of due precaution In seeing that n,
lights or fires are in the house at tn,
: time Of the application. or for som,
hours afterwards
\ Finally II the plague is not thu
abated, all floor coverings must b.
removed and the floors washed witt
hot soapsuds. This is useful pre-
caution to take in any house which i
is proposed to s'3se for the summer
since even a thorough sweeping ma.
leave behind some few flea eggs from
which an all-pervading swarm may de
velop before the house is reopened.