The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-01-28
CHICAGO STOCK YARDS IN DANGER
QUEER INSECTS SU6SlST ON
LEAD INsULAToRs OF
ELECTRICITY.

ed m the Union StOckyaruS nave Sohe
bughouse" over the advent of unidenti-
fed larvae swarming certain sections
of the packing plants and insisting on
feeding upon the lead pipe insulation
of electric wires.
Biting off no more lead than they
comfortably can chew and easily di-
gest, these brown. hairy little wigglers
each fiveeights of an inch long and of
svelte figure are moving through the
''hoof'' houses at the yards, gnawing
irregular patches of lead often cut
i,ting through the cloth and rubber in
sulation and short circuittng the cleo
trio current.
Holes an inch long and half an inch
wide have been cut through one-tenth
inch thickness of lead pipe. Under
the microscope this cutting shows in
finitesnnal lines where the larva's in
cisors have marked the edges of the
holes.
"The lead pipe cinch" bug is the de-
signatiOn given the creature by Direc-
tor Fred J. V. Skiff of the Field Col
umbian museum, in whose entomology
cal laboratory this little lead eater rs
under observation.
Banqueting on Cake Now.
William j. Gerhard, assistant curator
of the division of entomology. who has
a small handful of the whiskered lit
tie squirmers in domestic cigar box in
the laboratory, accepts the judgment of
his chief that the creature has just that
kind of cinch. But since the little
lead eater has been under scrutiny of
the laboratory, with a side order of
cake from a nearby restaurant placed
conveniently in the cigar box, MIR.
Gerhard can't induce the insect to eat
any more lead pipe.
1.-The cake may be a little heavier?
that's so: l hadn't thought of that"
said Mr.. Gerhard, dragging an index
finger thoughtfully across his brow.
1t is in the ''hoof' house at the yards
that the little creature has appeared
in millions. These houses are for the
the processes toward glue manufacture.
In the houses the floors are of wood.
three or four inches thick. Yet this
hairy little worm has hOneycOmbed
them in it's search for lead pipe.
Fire Underwriters Alarmed.
Danger from fires caused by the short
circuiting of electric currents caused
n. A. Burleigh inspector for fire under
writers, to carry a consignment of the
larvae, pupae. and beetles over to Mr..
section of the gnawed lead pipe and
wiring. cut from one of these buildings.
were enclosed in the box for luncheon
purposes. but the little pests have dis
dained it and Toasted exclusively on
Hyde Park restaurant cake.
1t has been a question whether the
larvae had not been eating away the
lead in order to get at the canvas or
the rubber insulation but it is the con-
sensus of opinion in the laboratory
that it would be a fool bug that would
gnaw away seventy grains of lead to
get four bits of cloth insulation, es-
pecially when the larvae would rather
have restaurant cake anyhow.
So great have been the ravages of
these larvae upon the lead insulation in
stallatiOnS of electric wires are being
conducted in gas pipe projections. Some
of the floors of the houses are so bored
and weakened that cement will have to
take the place of the wood.
Puzzle for Entomoogists.
The chronological division of the
Field museum has no record of such
C"cature as this. It's unCl,s, cousins.
and aunts, however. have been identi-
fed The fanny name is dermestida
with the accent on the ii" The black
''larder'' beetle is a near relation: the
carpet beetle also is a dermestida,
bred in the bone.
This lead pipe cinch'' bug has an
adventurous career of aliases. 1t be-
gins as an egg. new laid, in which il
.fers radically from most eggs sold
through the yards. 1t matches and be-
comes the 1.-THE. whiSkered larva, with
strong plumbing propensities and i'm
mune from lead poisoning. 1t is in the
larva stage that the creature is destruc-
lively OmnivOrOus.
From the larva state it becomes a
blond pupa, later bursting ITS envelop-
ing skin and appearing as a coal black
beetle, three lights of an inch long,
wearing a shepherds plaid waistcoat
and a pair of feelers suggesting IN
ebony lorgnette.
Curious to See Beetles Eggs.
Mr. Gerhard at the laboratory has |
larvae, pupae, and beetles in his collec- |
ton, and now anXfouSly is awaiting |
some eggs from the lady beetles. His |
interest in the eggs lies in the posi- |
b;Iity that thew will be found having