The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-06-27
They Do Not Damage Plants
and Can Be Easily
Controlled.


WASaINGToN June e6.-Am un-
usual number Of compl aints have been
received this year by the depar tment
OF agriculture from persons who say
that ants are mjurinS their lawns
and gardens. as 3 matter OF TACT
these ants do little harm and the IN
JURY thar Is attributed to them Is rs
ually caused by something else In
Large numbers. however, the small
contca1 nests which they build on.
lawns are somewhat unsightIy and on
this account 1t may be desirable In
some cases to destroy them
Where there Is only small area to
be covered the simplest mefhod Is to
drench the nests with boiling water.
Anoeher simple remedy is To- spray the
lawn with kerosene emulsion or with
a very strong soap wash prepared by
sd1Ssolvang any common laundry soap
in water at the rate of one pound or
one-ha1t pound to gallon OF water.
Such methods are particularly well
adapted to small lawns and for the
ordinary little lawn ant
An Effective Chemical
For larger ant colonies or other
species, bisulphide of carbon q chem
ical which can be purchased at any
drug store. will be found elective.
This substance can be placed IN the:
nest by means OF an oil can or small
syringe, the quantity required vary
ing from one-half ounce for a small
nest to Two or three ounces or more
for a large one. An oil can with a
long spout IS convenient inStru-
ment as it can be inserted into the
nests and the liquid injected without
its being brought close to the opera
tors nose, for the fumes OF biSulphide
OF carbon although not poisonous. are
nauseating. To facilitate the-entrance
into the nest OF the chemical The ant
hole can be enlarged with a sharp
stick or iron rod After the bisu1-
phfde of carbon has been injected.
the opening should be closed by pres
sure OF the foot in order to retain the
bisulphide. This will penetrate slow
" Throughout the underground chan
ne1s OF the nest and Kill all the In
that while bfsulphide is perfectly
harmless II kept away from all fire. It
Is very indammabIe any may, under
certain circumstances, explode when
fgnited.
eAnt Cows
Except for the unsightly appear
ance OF their nests, however, the
lawn ants do no apprectable harm:
They are frequently noted ON roses
and ON other Ornamental and garden
plants, and 1t Is naturally supposed
that they are doing harm to these.
As a matter of fact It is not the
plants that attract the ants, but plant
lice. These tiny creatures excrete a
sweet liquid Of which ants are very
fond and which they collect without
injuring the plant lice For this reaS-
on plant lice are frequently termed
amt COWS The analogy is empha-
sized by the fact that ants have been
known to take plant ice into their
nests, shelter them through the win.
ter. and return them to suitable plant
in the spring very much as men are
accustomed to feed and shelter cows
throughout the winter, putting chem
ON pasture with the coming OF the
spring. This is the only way In
which ants can be said to injure
plants. They enter houses very
rarely. and, on the whole, may be
sam TO- do no harm OF any kind ex-
cept insofar as they lessen the at
tractiye appearance of the lawn On
the other hand, 1t is quite possible
that by bringing up from the lower
depths sand and earth they may dis
tinctly increase fertility by forming
top dressing or soil mulch. and at the
same time permit better aerat1on OF
the earth