Evening star., 1949-08-23
This and That
Bv Charles E. TraceveU

Tidy housekeepers do not like him. but he
Is the oldest insect In the world. having first
seen the light about 200 million years ago.
Man is q mere newcomer on this earth,
compared TO- the cockroach. = Perhaps this
fact will cause . few, at least to view this
home intruder with calner eyes.
One should be glad that our local reaches
are not the size Of those found in Cuba.
They really have cockroaches there.
They are said to make as much noise as
mice, and may be caught in mouse traps. =
Cuban reaches, famous in some OF their
rumba songs, are about inches long.
Reaches belong TO the insect order that
contains, among others, the graSshoppers.
crickets. walking sticks and the nantes
Even the person most hostile to insects
would be willing to admit that here are some
good ones. interesting. and some Of them
very clean looking.
The mantis Is one Of the cleanest Of all
insects, seeming to be made Of paper.
Our reaches, with their rather sleek ap-
pearance, and their amazing ability to run
ming, do not strike us as very clean. nor are
they.
Here again, the true American roach is not
30 bad. They live under bark and boards.
outdoors. and seldom come in.
The ferocious looking ones are imported.
European species.
Croton water system was introduced IN New
York, and 50 have been called croton bugs
ever since.
This one eats pastes Of all kinds and vege-
table matter.
Reaches can bite, but seldom do 20, not
caring for human company.
Boric acid will kill them, and there are
innumerable sprays and powders for the
purpose.
Residue Of DDT sprays is deadly to them.
The eradication of these and other house,
hold pests has given rise to whole industry.
Everyday home eradication is made easier
by high powered sprays but extreme care
should be used In handling these in the pres
ence of dogs and cats.
It is perhaps best never to use DDT where
there are cats. as any residue may be caught
on the fur and licked of later.
Most suburban yards. now and then, show
up with walking stick, so-called.
This one lives among trees, eating green
leaves. but is not numerous enough to do
much harm.
These old things 80 much resemble twigs,
even to form and color. that no doubt many
persons have. seen them without realizing it.
The color as does that Of the chamelon,
changes with the season, from light green to
dark. with bronze tinges
The eggs, too, are camoudaged, looking
much like small seeds.
This is fortunate for the race Of the walk
ing-sticks The eggs are dropped from the
trees to the ground. and remain there all
winter,
Some Of these odd looking seed-eggs stay
unmatched for two years.
The young walking sticks require from two
to three months to become full grown.
The katydid Is another tree resident.
It is famous in American song and story,
the best known Of the long-horned grass
hoppers. The horns, or antennae, are longer
than the body.
The songs are made by the males rubbing
their wings together.
There are two songs the day song and the
night song, and Is said that If cloud passes
over the sun while the insect Is making his
day song, he Immediately begins the night
song. You can believe this If you want to.
Katydids hear with their front legs. Hon.
estl Katydid eggs are laid in neat rows on
branches They, too. remain all winter, to
develop In the spring.
The crickets attract most attention when
they get in the house in the fall. Crickets
have always been considered q good oman
by all except modern apartment dwellers.
who despise all bugs" on general princi-
pies. Maybe they are right.
Crickets chirp slow or fast according to
the temperature. For this reason 1t is said
to be possible to estimate the temperature Of
room by counting the number Of cricket