The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-08
MANY ON LAWNS THIS SEASON
Government Experts Tell of Best Meth
DDS to Get Rid of the Insects Which
Are Infesting Lawns About Kenosha
in Great Numbers This Year.

There seems to be rather excep-
tional abundance of the common little
lawn ant, probably what is often called
the garden ant (Lasius niger this year.
These little ants, yellowish brown in
color, construct their small crater nests
on lawns and pastures in enormous
numbers, often dozen or more to the
square yard of surface.
Other species of ants may be con-
cerned, some of them black in color,
but the common species widely distrib-
uted throughout the northern states is
the one named above.
Very frequently these ants are noted
on roses and other ornamental plants
and on garden plants, and fears are nat
urally aroused that they are inj ing
the plants, and damage which the
plants may exhibit from other causes is
naturally ascribed to the ants. Usual
1 ly, however, careful examination Of
the plants will reveal the existence Of
/ plant lice, the presence of which at
tracts the ants. These plant lice ex-
crete a sweet liquid, Of which the ants
are very fond and which they collect
from the plant lice without any injury
to the latter. For this reason plant lice
are very frequently termed ant
cows" The presence Of ants on plants,
therefore, is usually an indication Of
the presence of plant lice or related
insects, which may also excrete sweet
ish liquids. The relation Of ants to
plant lice is very intimate, and the lit
/ tie lawn ant discussed has a record Of
harboring in its nests over winter plant
lice to return them to an appropriate
host plant the following spring. The
corn-root aphis, for example, has been
found by Prof Forbes and others in
nests of these ants. In this role ants
can be considered as injurious, In that
they assist in the over wintering and
subsequent disseminS ton of injurious
plant lice.
In the case of lawns and meadows
this possibly injurious role is negligi-
BILE, and it is quite probable that these
ants do not harm the grass, but on the
contrary may be distinctly beneficial in
their action, bringing up from the lower
depths sand and earth to form a con-
slant top dressing or soil mulch, at the
same time permitting of better aera-
ton of the earth, and in both ways in
creasing fertility.
It is the rare exception, if ever, that
any of these ants enter houses In quest
! Of food, and at least their stay is tenn
porary. Naturally they give a rather
unsightly appearance to house lawns,
and the little craters of sand are OBJ
jectionable on golf links and tennis
courts, and also on pavements where
they work between the crevices Of the
paving stones or bricks. On these ac-
counts it may occasionally be necessary
to recommend methods of control and
destruction.
Where only small area or a few
nests are concerned, drenching the nests
with boiling water will be effective.
Another simple means of destroying
such ants in house lawns Of small ex-
tent is to spray the lawns with kero-
sene emulsion or with very strong
soap wash, prepared by dissolving any
common laundry soap in water at the
rate of half pound to pound to the
gallon of water. An effective control
method for larger ant colonies of other
species is to inject into the nest guam
tity of bisulphide of carbon, a chemical
which can be purchased at any drug
store. This substance can be placed
in the nest with an oil can or small
syringe, the quantity varying from half
an ounce for a very tiny nest to 2 or
3 ounces or more, depending on the
size of the nest. An oil can or syringe
with a long spout is convenient, as this
can be inserted into the nests and the
liquid injected without being too near
the operator s nose. To facilitate en-
trance Of the chemical, the ant hole can
be enlarged with a sharp stick or iron
rod. The depth of the injection will
depend on the size Of the nest-from an
inch or two to greater depths After
injecting the bisulphide of carbon the
entrance opening should be closed by
pressure of the foot to retain the BIZ
sulphide, which will then penetrate
slowly throughout the underground
channels of the nest and kill the In
mates. Bisulphide of carbon has a
very disagreeable odor and its fumes,
while not poisonous, are nauseating. It
IS perfectly harmless, but should be
kept away from fire, as its fumes are
infiammable and may explode, if ignit-
ed, much like gasoline vapor.