Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-23

few wandering individuals that were
foraging at the time the carbon was
applied. These are relatively short
lived and soon diappear. This meth
cd is probably the best that can be
followed even in the case of the Ar
gentine ant, but because of the rela-
tive great numbers of queens and the
innumerab1e openings the Difficulty OF
destroying these ants in any region
becomes very much greater than with
the ordinary species. Still 1t Is prob
able that colonies in the ground can
be destroyed in this manner. Where
colonies occur, however, in the wood
work Of houses or the other buildings,
or in the bark or rotten places in tree
trunks, as is true Of this species, the
problem becomes very evidently still
more difficult.
Barriers consist of substances either
repellent or difficult of passage. Of
the repellent substances, corrosive
sublimate seems to have been about
the most effective 1t is not yet known
exactly why such substance shouid
be repellent to ants, but 1t has proved
so and is fairly effective against the
Argentine species. It will not be found
to be completely satisfactory, how
ever Barriers across which ants t1nd
difficulty in passing are water, vase
line and tanglefoot. either OF which Is
completely effective as long as its sur>
face remains clean: but dust particles
or dead bodies of other ants Will In
each case finally form bridge over
which the insects can pass. They are,
however, sufficiently effective to be
extremely useful as control measure
and will be found very efficient Tor our
common larger species, but least ef-
fective against the Argentine ant OF
all the ants occurring In this country
Ant-Proof Construction
OF course this is the best solution
of the problem. Where ants cannon
be eradicated all containers of food
material should be made ant tight In
every region where ants are trouble
some. This is something that Is quite
possible even for single rooms OF
dwelling houses, though it win require
very different methods from those
| which are in vogue in ordinary resi-
| dence construction. These ants do no
| burrow in wood but live In cracks o.
| in rotten wood. The important thing
| Of course is to see to 1t that no CRACKS
| through which ants can come are al
| lowed to remain. In wooden houses
| this can be accomplished by a free use
of putty and paint, and special pro-
| visions about the openings sucn az
windows and doors, and by constant
attention to any cracks that may FORM
| through the drying or warping OF the
wood. In the case of warehouses the
use Of concrete as far as possible Is
thoroughly to be recommended. since
| this is fairly free from danger Of
cracking In a way to admit ants. The
most serious difficulty in ant-prool
construction is the impossibility OF
free ventilation.
Suggestions for Eradication
Frorr, what has been said above II
will be seen that the control OF this
species Of ant is particularly difficult
and 1t would seem therefore very
wise policy at the present time, wniie
| the species has such limited distri-
| hutton. to entirely eradicate 1t. If this
is Undertaken, however, it should be
with the appreciation of the fact thai
the work involved is very great ever
for a small colony, because in eradlca.
| tion work only the last indlvidua
queen insect is of any Importance
| The simple reduction OF numbers Will
not Justify the effort that would pe
put forward. 80
The first work that should be done
toward eradication is to find prac.
tical means of limiting the spreac
from the existing colonies. Perhaps
water barrier reinforced with OF
NAV prove most feasible, but mucf
experimental work should at once bt
provided for to determine the wises'
procedure.
| the attempt to destroy all the nests n
one Of these areas. Carbon bisulphide Is
| the most promising means to use, pul
here again experimental work m1gnl
result In the discovery OF more enl-
| cent means. When these two steps
are successfully taken tne reinalnucl
| Of the work is but the continuance
Of the campaign along these lines.
How This Work May Be Done
There is no legal authority in the
state whose duties would include the
| eradication of household pest unless
| 1t be in those counties having county
entomologists, whose duties are Wnat-
ever the supervisors creating these
| offices direct. AS a fruit pest, how
ever. 1t falls in the domain OF the
| stare commissioner of horticulture and
of fhe county boards. The laws, how
ever creating these offices-while
granting abundant authority and orig
| inally designed to meet just sucn
emergencies s-nevertneless ran 70 ,,i.,o- pIo-
vide the necessary means and facilities
| for investigation which must first be
made when new kind Of pest is In
| troduced before effective work can pe
| done and which must accompany the
work in most cases as long as IL Is
under way.
ouires therefore that public spirited
citizens interest themselves in the mat
| ter and see that the machinery OF gov
| lernment by which emergencies are met
be set in motion. ~
TT should be understood that the
whole state is interested In this mat
| ter. and not simply the communities
where the insect is now present There
Is no reason to expect this insect to
spread in this state less rapidly than In
Louisiana, and If that Is accomplished
the insect win be infesting the homes
or 90 per cent Of the population of the
state within ten years. If one COM
munity destroys the insects in Its midst
| ii stands in continuous danger of be-
coming re-infested,> thus .necessitating
doing the work oyer again. Thus far
the insect is practically confined to
towns. For many years this was true
SLOWLY through the towns. infesting
block after block, coming to the towns
in shipments by rail or boat, and only
spreading into the country after COM
pleting the infestation Of the towns.