574 ANTS. 



on their foraging grounds small sponges saturated with sugar- water. 

 The ants collect on these and can be killed by dropping the sponges into 

 hot water. This process can be repeated till no ants come to the 

 sponges. Solcnopsis molcsta seems not to be attracted by sweets, but 

 it can be entrapped and killed in the same manner by using bones or 

 rags saturated with grease instead of sponges. This is, however, merely 

 a makeshift, for as long as the queens remain in their nests in the wood- 

 work and masonry of the house, the colonies may be regenerated. 



Xewell I Journ. Econ. Entom. II, 1909, pp. 324-332) has recently 

 shown that the Argentine ant (Iridomynnc.r liuinilis) which has be- 

 come a serious house-hold pest in Louisiana and California, and prom- 

 ises to overrun all the warmer portions of the United States, has a 

 unique habit. This ant nests both out of doors and in the masonry 

 and woodwork of houses. On the approach of winter numerous colo- 

 nies, that have inhabited a considerable area during the summer, come 

 together and unite to form a single huge colony, which may contain, 

 at "a conservative estimate," upwards of 1000 fertile queens! In 

 the spring this colony splits up into numerous smaller colonies which 

 move out and again cover an extensive territory. For ridding the 

 premises about houses of these insects, Newell suggests the use of a 

 trap consisting of a dry goods box about 2X2X3 feet, filled with 

 cotton seed and straw or other porous vegetable material. The top 

 of the box is left open so that its contents are exposed to the weather. 

 The interior of the compost mass becomes warm through decomposi- 

 tion and as winter approaches attracts the ant colonies. During Jan- 

 uary, after the colonies have assembled in the box, its cracks are closed, 

 a pound or two of carbon bisulphide is poured into the compost and 

 the whole is covered with a water-proof canvas till the ants arc 

 asphyxiated. 



2. Garden Ants. The ants that most frequently disfigure our 

 lawns and garden beds with their untidy earth-works are, in the 

 Northern States, Lasins aincricanns, Formica subscricca. and, occa- 

 sionally, Prenolcpis imparts and F. snbintcgra, and various species of 

 Plicidolc (especially Ph. dentata), Doryiuynnc.r pyrainicns and the "fire- 

 ant," Solenopsis gcminata, in the Southern States. The fire-ant stings 

 viciously and is often a serious pest in gardens, dooryards and barn- 

 yards. The most effective method of dealing with all of these ants is 

 that described by Hinds (Farmers' Bulletin, No. 145, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture) : ' The treatment consists in making one or 

 more holes in the nest with a stick or iron bar to the depth of from 

 one to two feet, and pouring into each hole one or two ounces 

 of carbon bisulphid. The hole may be closed immediately by step- 



