Pomona Coi.i.eoe Joirnai. of Kntomoukjy S")! 



wattlrs ami Iccdiiit: u|>()ii tin- mitrr l)ark of old pcadi tn-cs aii<l i-m-Hlypti. 

 It is this kind that coiiiiuonly attarks liuildintjs. Thr iiiarrhiiin ttTiiiitf (//(«/«- 

 Iinii4s iiiiisxdinhiriis) is wi/ll known for thi- spoilation of crops of ffniwinj; 

 j;rain, while tlu- insidious terniiti- {Ttnii's hailiiis) is fri-i|iii'ntly t'liilty of 

 injury in canr-Hi-hls ntwly set out. altliou^h no harm is ilonc to (;rown tii-lds. 

 Other speuius which arc more or less harmful arc Calntirmts (linlintu sin, T. 

 hilrrirhi.s, T. ritlgaris T. Iiiccrlii!). T. parrus, T. hiliihaliis, tJiilirmts Iriiurviiix. 



Within the last twelve years there has arisen upon the town lands of 

 I'ieternuiritzliurfr, a small suliurli. anil tiie whole of the area luiilt over has 

 iieen inhabited Ity termites, prcsumahly from time inimciiiorial. It is estimated 

 that there are ninety-three nests per acre on this >rround. The villas which 

 sprea<l over this area arc all of brick; many arc especially constnicteil with 

 a view to circumventint; white ant attack, and in most at h-ast some measures 

 have l)cen taken in that direction, but all suffer more or less. Amoni^st them is 

 a l)uil<lin^' upon raised .larrah posts, and built of wood and iron: berx-ath 

 is a clear space of about two feet, and li^bt and air penetrate freely under it. 

 This house has never been attacked, although on wooden posts, and it is 

 thought to be due to the fact that the ground undcrncatii is dry. well veiiti- 

 bited and exjiosed to linht, uudvint; an environment wholly unsuited to the 

 tastes of the white ants. Mr. Fuller cites eipht other cases where the termites 

 had found tiieir way into buildings throujih ilcfcets so slijiht as to entirely 

 escape the notice of the builders. That such l<io|)heles arc t"ound by ti'rmites 

 even where expensive precautions are taken is not altojrether due to their 

 liappeninjr upon them in the course of their indeterminable •'voyajres of 

 dis<'ovcry, " but they arc attracted alonf; the directions whicli they take. .Man's 

 ingenuity fails before those stiiiuili whicli impel the in.scct um-rrinnly towards 

 a food supply almost as a nmth is driven to the lijiht. not con.sciously nor out 

 of curiosity, but because it cannot helj) itself. 



The attack of the insects upon fruit trees ami in wattle and other planta- 

 tions is a eonnuon complaint. It is a curious fact that peach trees are not 

 eaten by Natal termites, ami advantage has been taken of this to ^rraft plums 

 upon peach roots. Plum, apricot, apple. an<l pear trees are verj- susceptible 

 to attack, while citrus trees and the more tropical fruits are taken only under 

 exceptional circumstances. 



In preiiarinj; t;roun<l i-ither for buililinn purposes or for agriculture it 

 has been found that the termites can be eradicated by forcinjr arsenic and 

 sulphur funu's into the nests. This must be done, however, before the ground 

 is disturbed. The same method is used but with less success in orcbanls and 

 plantations where the termites become troublesome. When found in buildings, 

 carbiin bisulfide repeatedly poured into nests which nuiy be found beneath 



houses or in the walls, has usually been su ssful in driving away the pest.s. 



Roy E. St. Ci.air. 



