Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-01-28

ocrAt. Paris. Ne.
Crawling Cheese and Moving Flour.
Among samples OF food .stuffs recently
received by the Maine Agricultural
Experiment Station for investigation
have been mite-infested -four. The
Hour looks quite ordinary until one
examines it more closely, when 1t 1s
seen that it is thoroughly impregnated
with the dead and living bodies of mites.
The species has been found to be similar
to related mites often found infesting
cheese, hams, grain, sugar, breakfast
foods, dried fruits, bulbs, roots, seeds,
etc., in which places they often make
themselves obnoxious.
When found in numbers sufficiently
great to attract attention they are swarm
ing In thousands over the food and ada
cent property. This is particularly true
of the mites infesting cheese, prunes and
Hour. Flour Is frequently so full OF
them that 1t seems to boil. Cheese is
sometimes known to take on the appear
ance Of "crawling" due to the movement
OF the infested mites, and primes often
look "dusty" or grayish because of the
great numbers OF them. They swarm
over food-stuffs In the grocery stores
and get on the grocer's hands and irritat-
ing the skin cause the disease known as
the ''grocer's ITCH" They are q good
example of an all-round nuisance.
These nuisances are not bona fide in
sects, for they have eight legs and differ
In several other ways from their six
legged cousins. They are exceedingly
small; in fact, so minute that several
might easily walk about on the head of
q pin and hence their presence is unsus-
pected until they occur in such immense
numbers that they are noticeable. In
appearance they resemble very much the
ticks which occur on dogs and cattle and
the mite which is common In and about
poultry houses. Like the latter they
increase with great rspidity so that In
short time from original discovery they
are found in enormous numbers. They
are also frequently found in situations
for which there seems to be little expla-
nation until one refers to q peculiar habit
possessed by some of them. After hatch
ing from the egg the young mites scram-
BILE over the material which happens to
be their food and soon begin laying eggs
by scores. Some of the young mites,
however, do not begin laying eggs 80
soon but secrete q she'll around them
selves and lay quiet until some future
time when mouse, Cat, house-fly, cock
roach, or other pantry visitor ventures
nearby and the tiny mite, awakening,
cliugs to the disturbsr of his sleep and
is carried of to be dropped where food
Is more plenty or of better quality. The
mite now resumes his feeding and gives
rise to other generations of mites, which
suddenly appear on new food-stuffs and
in storerooms thought to be clean. 1t is
in this manner that the mite accom-
plishes migration to other places and
localities rather than by flying, for the
mites never have wings.
From the foregoing discussion of the
habits Of these pests 1t is seen that 1t is
particularly diflcultto get rid OF them
because of the peculiar habit of lying
dormant. Infested parts of cheese and
hams and other meats can be cut away
and thoroughly brushed of, but unless
this Is thoroughly done eggs may be left
which, Matching later, may cause trouble.
Feed and -four mills and grain elevators
are protected against mites by the same
methods of heating the materials as is
used against insects. Where practicable
storehouses and pantries should be thor
oughly cleaned and then fumigated over
night by burning sulphur at the rate of
two pounds per 1000 cubic feet Of space.
This method is generally effective against
the eggs, the mites and the dormant
forms, and is less dangerous and less
expensive than other methods OF fumi-
CATION and Is equally as effective. In
the event that control measures are not
undertaken the infested food Is frequent
ly completely destroyed by the mites.
It is not unusual, however, for the mites
to be consumed in great quantities by
people without the least suspicion OF the
presence of dead mites and their excreta
in the food. To most people this Is dis
tasteful but no recorded instance Is
known iu which the mites were the
cause of alimentary troubles.-Chas. d.
Woods, Director.