Evening journal., 1906-08-15
HAVE THE FLEAS
BITTEN YOU?
City is Full Of Them and
Humanity In General is
Suffering
RESULT OF WET WEATHER


This is ca year. and the
flea, as many persons are learning by
experience, is no respecter of persons.
In fact there seems to be more trouble
Of the flea variety in the fashionable
section of the city than in any other.
Possibly this is because the more
fashionable section is pronest to holler
when 1t is hurt. Possibly it is because
il has TO be a bad flea year that will
reach the fashionable section. Any
how the neas are here and the fash
ionsble greeting now is. Good morn
ng, have you used insect powder?"
Some of the report from the western
section are doubtless exaggerated. The
story that there is a Percheron breed
of heas in town as big as draft
horses Is obviously fabrication.
There are no authentic accounts OF
any Of the insects bigger than shet-
land ponies. but some of the children
are reported TO be Harvesting the
common variety TO goat carriages
while the microscopic sort Of 1ea. no
bigger and with no more legs than the
average cent,poce is too common to be
worth mention. There has not been a
Hea fancieis club started yet but
there is room for Il ana there are sew
erai well-marke1 varieties reported
Fantail feas. are said 90 be among the
rarcst breeds, but the pure white aud
the piebaid specimens bring a good
price on the market, and there is
/ Species of weh-footel flea that thrives
near water courses that may be do
mcsticated IL a bench show is arr
ranged.
The Department Of Agriculture at
! Delaware College has received numer-
Gus compl1ints as to the fecunity OF
The flea and appeals for lotions and
extermnators. But the ontowoiogistg
smile bllnily and say that tho plague
win be worse before it is better an6
/ that all The householder has to do IS
20 keep cool and cheerful. and that
with little scientific assistance the
heas win disappear by cold weather.
Thrive "a DaDmp Weather.
Some of the scientists Of the College
Agricultural Department ON being in
teryiewed as to the present pest oi
aeas. said that &c was only 10 be ey-
pected n such Il summer as tnat We
have been having. Fleas, they said
thrive more I'm damp weather than II
any other and although too mucl
moisture is as fatal as dryness tn
present SKINNER has been Just IN,
sort 10 make a FLEA year." They sait
81 hff oh
house were almost sure to bring tn
pest there was no safety In not hav
. inu such pets couple OF healthy
female neas imported into a hous
would be- enough to stock it i'm fort
night. and after the first fortnight tn
neas increased i'm something NOR
( than seometrical progression.
In fact in one case reported
/ family was the fond possessor Of twl
pet cats. There were some hea
about the house, but not more than
the average household could stand
An examination was made Of the cat
. and after getting something over so
hoas off of them both We're banished
That was when the trouble brok
loose Whether the feas preferrel
, the cats to the human beings of tn
family is nice question that must b
left to science TO settle But as 500
as the cats vanished the heas tha
were left took to feasting on the fam
ily and at last accounts they wer
\ putting IN all their time hunting tn
lost cats between the intervals @
scratching and buying insecticides.
There have been two cases wher
families have recently had TO vacat
4 their houses and move into tn
& country TO get rid Of the fleas.
& Now. as q matter of fact. this wi
. not clear the house by any meani
q Flcas prosper more I'm shut-u
y house than they do elsewhere. Th
g dog and cat fea breeds on domestl
4 animals. and the eggs hang on tn
q hairs Whenever the animal lie
q down the eggs shake off and, espec
n ally In damp weather. hatch merrill
s on the floor. II the house is shut u
b and not swept and aired there is moi
n chance for the healets to develop tina
y if the house Is open and occupied.
y Suggested as Remedies.
& It is suggested that where there al
n pet dogs and cats they be given
N strip of cloth or carpet to sleep o
II and that this be brushed daily ar
n the dusT-ourned. II is also recon
b mended that the animals be rubb'
well with insect powder and the stup
81 fed feas swept up and burned.
Some people are good deal mo
sensitive to flea bites than others an
Il IL is advised where there is mul
IS trouble from this 10 keep a bottle
s pure ammonia handy and wet q
bite with the raw fluid. For cleann
E out a house that has become infeste
ID as a house frequently win If it
a shut up for the summer. the be
thing Is 10 spray the floors and furr
b ture literally win benzine thoul
care should be taken not to have al
81 lights or fires about when this
n done as the benzine vapor viii MAJ
an explosive mixture little mo
81 deadly than guupowder IL candle
I" brought into the room with it