The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-04-20
ARE
CHEAP TO MAKE
HOUSEWIVES CAN PREPARE OWN
FLY POISON MUCH CHEAPER
THAN BUYING IT

NVNOTN tANA SxA1C SoALAGoGI
The thrifty housewife willing to go
to the trouble of mixing household
insecticides can make a substantial
saving and still have an excellent
product, according to G. Allen Mail of
the State college entomology depart
ment.
Most sprays now On the market are
very similar. They have a kerosene
base, pyrethrum extract and some form
of perfume to kill the kerosene odor.
Kerosene itself is an excellent insecti-
eide, Mail says. Pyrethrum is an in
secticide made from the ground up
heads Of a flower which contains an
alkaloid known IS pyrethrum which is
extremely deadly to insects but rela-
lively harmless to man and animals.
The ground up blossoms of the flow-
ers long have been used as an insect
power under the name Of Dalmatian
insect powder, but was never very eff
fective. Now a new method of eX-
tracing the alkaloid has been found
and this pyrethrum extract mix
ed with kerosene makes an excellent
insecticide. This is the base of most
of the well known fly sprays.
Housewives desiring to mix their own
fly spray and make a substantial say
ing may have difficulty purchasing
pyrethrum extract. They can, Mail
says, purchase groundup flowers of
/ pyrethrum" readily. To make a fly
spray using the ground flower heads,
proceed as follows:
Soak one and one-half pounds of
freshly ground flower heads in a gal
Ion Of kerosene for 48 hours, stirring
occasionally . Then filter the mixture
and the clear liquid will be the equal
of any fly spray and the cost will be
less than a dollar per gallon.
To kill the kerosene odor add an
unc OF two Of some perfume for
each gallon of the spray. Some of the
perfumes that can be used are oil of
wintergreen. oil of cloves, oil of Berg
amot, Terpineol and others which the
local druggist may suggest. One ounce
of oil Of cloves and one ounce of oil of
Bergamot, both added to each gallon,
will entirely kill the Objectionable kerr
osene odor and leave a fragrant smell
in the room.
Fly poisons to take the place of pads
purchased at the stores IAN be made
as follows. Two or three teaspoons of
formaldehyde to a pint of milk and
water in equal proportions with a little
sugar or molasses to sweeten. For
larger quantities use formaldehyde one
pint, canned milk n pint, sugar one
pound, and water, three gallons. This
mixture is left around in saucers or
other flat containers, with a small
piece of bread or a small sponge which
is just saturated and a little excess
liquid left in the plate. Flies that
drink this liquid are dead in a few
minutes.
Sticky fly paper, as recommended by
Kansas State Board of Health is made
by heating together two pounds Of rosin
and one pint of castor oil until the mix
ture has the appearance of molasSes.
With an ordinary paint brush, this
mixture is spread while hot on any
kind of paper. If annoyed by the drip
pings from the suspended papers, they
may be attached to a board in the
shape of an inverted Tee, the flat cross
piece catching the drip.
An excellent cockroach powder, ac-
cording to Mail can be made as follows:
Mix flowers Of pyrethrum and sodium
fluoride, equal parts by weight. The
mixing must be done very thoroughly.
The dust is used with a busting gun,
certain types of which can be purchas-
ed for as little as so cents. Such a
powder should not cost more than 40
cents a pound and will be the equal
of commercial roach powders.