Evening star., 1945-11-01
This and That.
By Charles E. Trace,Deu

Setting up traps to catch centipedes
Is the latest diversion of Templeton
Jones, Esq.
He is using powder containing 10
per cent DDT, war-famous insecticide,
and hoping for the best.
His traps are old cartons in which
a host of products came.
He takes these boxes, pulls out the
TWO side pieces, and raises the lid over
them, giving the effect of very small
portlco on very large house
inside the box he places liberal
sprinkling Of DDT powder.
Having studied centipedes of the house
type over many months, he knows that
these thousand leggers," as they are
popularity called, love to creep into
creviceS.
He pictures these crawlers as being
unable to resist his traps.
Jones really does not expect to catch
any out cold. DDT does not work that
way. It's residual effect comes later.
So far he has had the satisfaction of
nndlng one centipede in bowl of water.
ana another very emaciated one trying
to make its escape across the kitchen
floor.
Probably the first suffered from the
DDT, and was unable to save itself and
1ell into 1t. 1t might be, reasons Jones,
that the creature tried to get drink. The
trouble with this solution, he feels, is
that he is not sure that centipedes drink
water.
Blood of other insects is both food and
drink to them
An insect and vermin-free house ought
to be the ideal Of every home owner,
Templeton Jones thinks.
Centipedes will 60 far toward ridding
house of small insects, notably such
things as ants, reaches and waterbugs
Even Jones, centipede foe, admits as
much.
He knows from personal experience,
however, that they do not touch either
flies or f1eas.
Every owner of pet dogs and cats is
hot, humid summer.
He need not look to centipedes for any
help. Despite the yaunts of their adj
mirers, they are after bigger-and less
agile-game.
DCoPltC bllCll dUll&ty W lQIi, dllO SWllA
ly, they are utterly unable to catch
either flea or fly.
Templeton Jones feels that as soon as
the centipedes have rid house of
reaches, ants, ETC., the thing to do then
is to rid the house of the centipedes!
He has discovered that this is easier
said than done. Even the aid of the
household vacuum cleaner or sweeper,
using the long tube, leaves the crawlers
in numbers.
Many homes whose owners believe
they have none would be surprised to
snap on the lights about to am. and
see the centipedes.
The favorite trick of the thousand-leg-
gers is to play dead. They not only
freeze into immobility the moment q
light is turned on, but they do it, too, to
entice spiders and others.
Instead of running, when a human
being comes after them, a thing nature
has eminently fitted them to do, they
stand stock still.
Perhaps they do not understand In
the least the great moving shadow below
them. Their idea, evidently, as far as
Jones can figure out, is to wait and see
It is policy which humans have tried,
sometimes with success, sometimes with
dire results
If centipedes ran the moment Jones
got after them with his vacuum cleaner,
they would have good chance of get
ting away. They wait-and are swal-
lowed up. The cleaner reduces them to
a gray pulp in q matter of seconds.
Templeton Jones is hoping for. COM
plete kill, as result OF his DDT powder
in his special bungalow-type traps. He
has promised to let u know ths results.