334 Bulletin 81 



distance before dying, as the capsule has to dissolve to free the strychnine." 



It has been found that if poison is placed in a freshly killed animal 



(jackrabbit, dog, cat or other fresh meat) which is buried in the earth, 



the coyotes will dig it up and eat it and be killed by the poison, when they 



would not eat the uncovered bait. 



ANTS 



There are many species of ants, but the ones that cause the great- 

 est damage and with which Arizona stockmen and farmers are especially 

 concerned are the larger species of harvester ants. These are the large 

 red ants that do so much damage to field crops, vegetables, young trees 

 and other plants. The writer has seen young fruit trees killed by these 

 pests, which eat the young twigs and buds. Gardens are sometimes ruined 

 by them, the young plants being cut off at the surface of the ground. 

 Fields of beans have been reduced to less than half stand, the young 

 plants having been cut off just as they were breaking through the surface 

 crust. In some of these cases farmers were at a loss to know why there 

 was not a good stand, not having observed that the damage was done by 

 ants. On one farm the writer found that harvester ants were cutting 

 down the young plants in a Sudan grass field as fast as they came up. 



Harvester ants not only destroy plants but they sometimes do much 

 harm to animals, sometimes killing them. One woman stated that she 

 lost 150 small turkeys that died from the effects of harvester ant bites. 

 These pests often seriously annoy larger animals. A cow may lie down on 

 a nest, when the ants will bite or "sting" her udder and teats, causing 

 sores. Blackleg may also sometimes be traced to ant bites which cause 

 wounds through which the germs find entrance. Harvester ants are 

 also annoying to people, their bites causing pain and sometimes making sores. 

 The effect of an ant sting is similar to that of a wasp sting, but is usually 

 more painful and persistent. 



Various methods have been used to exterminate harvester ants. Gaso- 

 line, coal oil, crude oil, cyanide of potassium and carbon bisulphide 

 ("high-life") have been employed with varying degrees of success. The 

 best, cheapest and most easily applied remedy for general use is London 

 purple, the active poison in which is arsenic. It varies greatly in effec- 

 tiveness. Only a good grade should be purchased. It costs about 25 cents 

 a pound in 5 pound lots. Sprinkle a small circle of the powder around 

 the opening of each ant nest, putting a little into the hole. A teaspoon- 

 ful is usually sufficient for treating one nest. This should be applied in 



