Year: 1879

InVOHLESVME lNSECISs

 Useful and Interesting Information for

 Housekecpers.

 At meeting of the Boston society of natural history, Dr. H. A. Hagen, of Cambridge, read an interesting paper upon the carpet beetle and other house pests. He said that when the insect first appeared, ,in this country, six years ago, he succeeded in tracing all the cases which came under his notice to a large carpet store, where there was a stock of imported carpete. The lec- turer's name appeared in the papers in connection with the subject, and he has since been in receipt of numerous bad smelling packages, with letters claiming each to be the newest and effectual remedy. In some foreign countries so widespread are the ravages of the in- sect that even the habits of dress have been altered in consequence. 1t has attacked not only woolen articles, but furs and raw hides. The speaker passed around among the audience specimens of the larva and ull-hedged beetle. The process of development occupies about five or six weeks. As remedy, the speaker said, many things have been recommended, but none of them result ed in sure death. Bad smells were princi- pally recommended. Now, l think, said the speaker, if anybody should try to drive out of his house all that he dis likes by bad smells, he will finish by being driven out himself besides that several of the remedies recommended are certainly not Of an innoxious char acter. Next, the wholesale application of kerosene and benzine was recom- mended, only five gallons or more for a small cottage. If it is certain that every carpet bug drowned in kero- sene or benzine is done forever, I think it is not considered that in the use of those and kindred liquids the insurance companies would have something to say, and certainly not be obliged to pay in case of accident. I know one case IF which such things were used with so much effect that nobody, pot even the cat, could be induced to enter the room for many weeks. I think the best way to be followed would be first to prevent the entrance of the insect Therefore, every new carpet or rug should be con- sidered as dangerous, and treated as the old ones; that is, exposed to the open air, in sunshine if possible, as sunlight the larv@ cannot stand, and strongly beaten before laid in the rooms. The common custom, to order new carpets in the store and lay them directly ln the rooms, is apparently the most danger ous course to be pursued. Further, as it is observed that the beetles by prefer ence follow the cracks in the floor, all should be made tight, or at least flied with tallow. The tallow IS very dan- gerous substance for the larv@, and eagerly avoided by them, as the fat easily attaches to the spiracles with killing effect. Therefore, the most com mon tallow candle, being softer, is bet ter than the purified. For the same purpose, should recommend tallowed paper to be put along the walls, only foot or two, underneath the carpets, as just the place near the walls are their most chosen abode. Of course a careful and more frequent inspection of the car pets will be necessary if the number of larve seems to be in any way alarming. think it will be impossible to get rid of them entirely, but it will be certainly possible to keep them within limits, so that they will not be more dangerous than any other house pest. It is an ex-

 

 somebody happens to be something of rogue, anything wrong committed by any one else is put on his shoulders. The poor carpet-bug is' an ipstance.of this. The family of A,athrenus IS an old and rather large one, and there exists many cousins in the fifth or later de- gree, who try to prove their relation ship in being as obnoxious in the same line, and perhaps more. One arrifre cousin, Attagentts Megatonaa, is really as common as the carpet bug, despising nothing in his way, and being more swift and smart, is at least equally as injurious. Those beetles have propa- gated in the last years enormously in houses and collections of objects of natural history. One large beetle in a collection here in Boston harbored alone 150 of these insects. I have, therefore, the conviction that perhaps half of all the damage credited to the carpet-bug, and sometimes more, is done by 4. MegGtonaa, the cousin. Regarding the habits of insects in general, he said we often suffer from peri odical inroads of one variety or any other. About a century ago this Hessisn fly was so numerous in the country as to be great nuisance. The farmers enemy, the canker-worm, is beginning to get uncomfortable since the introduction of the English sparrow. New England has been remarkably free from the common flea, which in parts of this and in nearly all foreign coun- tries is very numerous. The lecturer indulged in the not very encouraging prophecy that we may ere long receive a visit from this natural enemy of man. In Poland, the paradise of ieas, the reme- dy used is simple and effective. It con- sists of large basin of water set in a room at night, and in the centre of it lighted candle is placed. The fees are attracted to the light, fall into the water and are drowned. In the morn ing the water will be black with them. It is to be hoped that we shall not soon be compelled to resort to this extremity.