The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-01-21
THOROUGH FUMNIGATION
FOR BUFFALO MOTHS

THE tacked-down carpet habit is
bad one from more than one point o
view" says the departments Entomol
ogist, and the Buffalo moth Tor carpe
beetle) is only one household pest tina
thrives under this securely fastene,
floor covering. In our Southern state
this insect is of no importance as
household nuisance One reason TO
this is probably that rugs or movabl,
squares of carpet or mating are mor'
generally used in this section.
The housekeeper of the North, Gag
er to be rid of this pest, might wei
adopt the rug or square of carpet
which may readily be rolled up anc
examined at all times and treated il
found necessary This really seems
the most effective way of combating
the Buffalo moth. If the floors are
not suitable for polishing, straw mat
tings laid under the loose carpet
squares will make an attractive APP
pearanee, and while not as clearly as
the bare floor, will afford fewer places
for the insect than the tacked-down
carpet.
Such housekeepers as prefer to keep
their carpets fastened over the entire
floor along with the attendant incon-
veniences must use more strenuous
measures to be rid Of the carpet beetle.
Thorough Immigration with bisulphid of
carbon or sulphur dioxid is the best
measure. If bisulphid Of carbon is
used, great care must be taken that
there is no fire in the house when
Immigration is in progress, as the gas
is very infammable. The vapor
should not be inhaled. The burning
of sulphur Sulphur dioxid with some
sulphur trioxid), which can be obtain
ed at any drug store in the form of
candles, has been effectively used for
many years to destroy other insect
pestst, as the bedbug, and will also
kill the Buffalo moth if the fumiga
ton is thorough. Two pounds Of
stick sulphur have proved sufficient for
every thousand cubic feet of space.
The chief objection of sulphur fumi-
cation arises from the strong bleach
ing action of the fumes in the pres
ence of moisture and their powerful
destructive action on vegetation.
Not only must measures be thor
ough, but they must be long continued
for the housekeeper whose house has
been chosen as an abode by the Buffa-
10 moth The annual house cleaning"
is not enough in this instance. If cir
cumstances permit of but one it should
be undertaken in midsummer, but two
are really needed.
In making thorough house cleanings
the rooms should be attended to one at
a time. The carpets should be taken
up, thoroughly beaten, and sprayed
out of doors with benzine, and allowed
to air for several hours. The rooms
themselves should be thoroughly swept
and busted, the floors washed down
with hot water, the cracks carefully
cleaned out, and kerosene or benzine
poured into the cracks and sprayed
under the baseboards. The extreme
of benzine, and even Of
its vapor, when confined, should be
and fire carefully guard
ed against.
Where the floors are poorly con-
and the cracks are wide, it
will be a god idea to fill the cracks
with plaster of Paris in liquid state;
this will afterwards set and lessen the
number Of harboring places for the in
sect. Before relaying the carpet, tar
red roofing paper should be laid upon
the floor, at least around the edges,
but preferably over the entire surface,
and when the carpet is relaid II will be
well to tack it down rather lightly, so
that ii can be occasionally lifted at
the edges and examined for the pres
ence Of the insect. Later in the seas
On, If such an examination shows the
insect to have made its appearance, a
,god though somewhat laborious rem
sdy consists in laying damp cloth
smoothly over the supected spot Of the