Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-17
GET AHEAD OF MOTHS
HOW TO PACK CLOTHES FOR SUM
MER MONTHS.
Prof. Marlatt's Plan Not an Easy
Thing to Exterminate
the Pests.

| With the passing of spring and the COM
| ing of the warm summer months arrives
the necessity for packing away the winter
| wearing APPAREL and household hangings and
| bed clothes, and of more than passing in
| terest the protection of these articles from
| the inroads of clothes moths.
There is no easy method of preventing
| the damage done by clothes moths, and 10
| maintain the integrity Of woolens or other
materials which are likely to attack de-
mands constant vigilance. with frequent in
spection and treatment said Mr.. c. L.
Marlatt first assistant entomologist OF the
Department of Agriculture.
'In general, they are lible to affect injuri-
ously only articles which are put away ana
left undisturbed for some little time. Ar
ticles in daily. or weekly use, ana apart par
ments frequently aired and swept or USED
as living rooms, are not apt to be seriously
| affected. Carpets under these conditlons
are rarely attacked, except sometimes les
| not so mucn disturbed by walking ana
| sweeping. Agitation, such as beating shak,
| ing or brushing and exposure TO ar anu
| sunlight, are old remedies, ana sun amoiis
| the best at command.
camphor, napthaline cones or bails ana
cedar chips or sprigs, have certain value value
if the garments are not already stocked
| with eggs or larvae. The doors OF these re-
pelants are so disagreeable to the parent e.,
| moths that they are not apt to come 10 oe-
| post their eggs as long as the ooor 10
| strong AS it weakens the protectlon oe-
| creases, and if the eggs or larvae are a,,
| ready present, these doors have no eHect On
their development; While II .he 1 t ha mo-
| inclosed with the stored material 10 pe pio
/ tected by these repellants so that they can.
| not escape they will OF necessity oepo tSo
| their eggs, and the destructive work Oh Tue
| larvae will be little, II at all, restrlcteu.
Air and Sunlight.
"After woolens have been given Vlgor
Gus and thorough treatment and area anu
exposed to sunlight, however, IL IS ~
some advantage in packing them away "
| inclose with them any OF the repeiiah''
| mentioned. Cedar chests and wardrooes
| are of value in proportion to the 1reedonl
| of the material from infestation When
| stored away; but, as the odor of the WOOD
| is largely lost with age, in the course OF d
few years the protection grea.iy &c 1890
| Eurs and such garments may also De SUP ca
| in boxes of trunks which have Deen Hiieu
| with the heavy tar paper used IN puhul'ss'
New papering should be given TO sucn re-
! ceptacles every year or two. summary, III, .ie
| tarred paper moth bags are of some value,
| always however, first subjecting the ma
| teriais to the treatment outlined above.
Protection to Carpets.
.-ro protect carpets, clothes and cloth
| covered furniture, furs, ETC., they shouio
| be thoroughly beaten. shaken, prusneo anu
| exposed as long practicable TO the SUI
light in early spring, either in April May or
june depending on the iatltuoe' Ahe
brushinp of garments is very important
consideration. to remove tne esss VI SnS
larvae which might escape notice. SUN
material can then be hung away In clotnes
closets which have been thoroughly cleaheu,
and il necessary, sprayed with pehzine
ahoi1t the cracks of the floor and the pase-
boards If no other protection be given,
they should be examined at least once a
month during summer, prusneu, anu'
necessary, exposed to the sunllsht
ut would be more convenient, noWeFei'
to So inclose or wrap up such material as
to prevent the access OF the NOUNS 70 ~,
after it has once been thoroughly tIealeu
and aired This can be easily erected III
| the case of clothing and furs by wrapping
| them up tightly in stout paper or inclos-
ing in well-made bags of cotton or linen
| cloth or strong paper
Large Pasteboard Boxes.
"Dr. Howard has adopted plan which
60 inexpensiye. and which he has found
eminently satisfactory. For small sum
he secured a number of the large paste
board boxes, such as tailors use, and In
| these packs away all winter clothihs'
cumming a strip of wrapping paper
around the edge SO as to seal up the poA
completely and leave no cracks. These
boxes with care will last many years.
with thorough preliminary treatment 1T
will not be necessary 10 use Tic leh I'm
| pregnated paper sacks sold moth pro-
| tectors, which may be Objectionable on
| account of the odor.
an the case of cloth-covered furniture
| and cloth-lined carriages which are stor-
! ed or left unused for considerable periods
| in summer it will probably be necessary
| to spray them twice or three times, viz,
| in April June and August, with benzine
| or naphtha, to protect them from moths.
| These substances can be applied very
readily with any small spraying device
and will not harm the material, but eau
| ton must be exercised on account of
| their infiammability. Another means of
| protecting such articles is to sponge
| them very carefully with dilute solu-
| ton of corrosive sublimate in alcohol.
made just strong enough not to leave
| white stain.
/ "a common mode Of protection fol-
| lowed by large dealers in carpets, furs,
&C., is the use of cold storage for pro-
lection. In all large towns any one can
| avail himself of this means by patroniz-
| ing storage companies, and protection
| will be guaranteed"