The daily sentinel., 1909-04-19
THE BED BUG

IL would not he considered
| polite to mention the name OF ~
certain oval. flattened. brown,
wingless insect which il para
site ON man. suffice il to say
that il is active entirely mt night
and hides by day in cracks and
crevices where the housewife
finds great difficulty in reach
ing il.
This insect has long been a pest of
mankind. 1t was known TO the Ro-
mans, who gave it the name of cimex,
which has now become its scientific
name Doubtless it also associated
with other ancient peoples, for it is
distributed over the greater part of
the world and has great powers of
maintaining its hold wherever it is
introduced. 1t will Withstand great
extremes of temperature and live
many months and perhaps years
without access to its natural food.
Careful housewives consider it a
disgrace for this insect to be found
in the house, but this is not neces-
sarily So Our modern passion for
travel furnishes the best possible
means for the distribution of the
parasite. 1t finds its way into travel
ing cases, trunks, and clothing, and
is in this way transferred to new
fields. II is thus likely to be found
at some time in almost any locality.
Houses which are connected by water
pipes, fences. or cutters are likely to
be infested by the insects travelling
over these lines of communication,
especially if the source of the pest
happens to be uninhabited.
The bite of the insect is accom-
plished by inserting four bristle-like
mouth parts into the skin and suck
ing the blood which flows through
tube-like proboscis. So far as is
known, no poison is inserted into the
wound by the insect, though the bite
is quite poisonous TO many persons,
causing red blotches which are quite
irritating. The insect has never been
convicted of carrying disease from
one person to another, though this
is quite possible. In respectable
household. of course, danger from
this source is comparatively small,
but where the insects have taken up
the cosmopolitan life in hotel or
other public abiding place, the case
is different. They are not always
discriminating in their associates.
For mild infestations, a number of
common remedies are quite effective.
One of the best is "A liberal use of
gasoline. Pour IL over the cracks in
the mattress and about all the
cracks and crevices of the bedstead.
Do the work thoroughly and pour
in sufficient to fill every crack.
Wherever this fluid comes in contact
with eggs or insects they will be
killed The gas is explosive. how
ever. and must be used during the
day and when there is no danger
from fire in stoves, lamps, or cigar.
as gasoline. Kerosene will do equal
ly we'll. but leaves an oily condition
which is quite undesirable.
Where tho insects infest cracks of
the foor and walls of the room it may
be necessary to resort to methods of
fumigation Birthstone burned at
the rate of pound to a thousand
feet of space has been used with sue
cess. The vessel containing the burn
ing birthstone should be placed in
tub of water or pail of sand to pre-
vent the escape of fire, and the room
kept closed for twenty-four hours.
Sometimes buildings are so badly
infested that II IS necessary to resort
to fumigation by hydro-cyauic acid
gas. but this should only be under
taken by experienced persons on ac-
count of the deadly nature of the
Substances used.
S. ARTHUR JOHNSON.
Colorado Agricultural College. Fort
Collins.
Now is the time 10 take n drive