402 Journal op the Department of Agriculture. 



WHITE ANT NOTES. 



liy Clai I)!', l''rTJ,i;K, Assistant Cliiot, Division of I'liloiiiolooy, 



Prctoiia. 



I. — Letteks of Advk e. 



''riiR(jr(;iiorT each year the Division of Entomology lias occasion to 

 (leal with niinieioiis inquiries relating to white ants and the damao-e 

 these insects do. It may be said, very truthfully, that a constant 

 stream of letters reaches the office directly or indirectly, bearing on 

 these pests, and it is, ordinarily, no small pleasure to the writer to 

 answer the letters to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, com- 

 plaints are usually stated very vaguely, and in the minds of most 

 (•orresi)ondeuts there seems to be a fixed idea that there is but one 

 and f)nly one white ant. At most, I find our correspondents dis- 

 criminate between two sorts. These are those implicated in the 

 destruction of woodwork, trees, etc.. and those wliich attack green 

 crops, cutting, and canying oft: pieces into holes in the ground. 



As a matter of fact, there are twenty-one distinct groups of white 

 ants in the Union, and each group has one to five representatives. 

 We may then l)e said to possess between forty and fifty different 

 kinds of wliile auis. It is equally true that the members of each 

 group differ from tliose of others in their habit, and, in some grou]>s. 

 (';icli kind exIiilMts characteristic h;ibits that aie peculiar to it. 



Hence il follows tliat when ;i vague (question is su])milted, it is 

 ini|)ossible to give a cleai' answer. Further than Ibis, Ihe successful 

 (■(Uilrol of a given type may depend entirely upon a knowledge of its 

 luibit, esi)ecially the mannei in \\hich it makes its m\st. Again, 

 although a good deal may have been learned a])oui the ways of while 

 ants in Soutli Africa, there is veiy much more kn(i\\b'dge still to be 

 acquired. 



For these reasons a special ai)j)eal is made to readers of these 

 notes who may wish to seek advice to state carefully the conditions of 

 attacdc and to send witli their complaints specimens of the culprits. 

 In sending specimens, they would make the task of the entomologist 

 lightci- if they took the tiouble 1o collect a few soldiers rather than 

 a numbei' of the more ciisily obtainable workers: when ])iacticable. 

 such specimens should be sent in some alcoholic fluid. It may be 

 added that care is always necessary to secure the cul])rits in the very 

 a(;t of their mischief and, where il is a question of ])lan1s being 

 destroyed, to get the pi'imary mischief maker, iind not one fojbl^\ing 

 in the pathway of another. 



11. — WiiiTK Ant Attack on Living Trees. 



If we set aside casiuil injury to foliage, noticeablv that of young 

 (■asuarinas. by the Grasdraers or Harvesters, and tliat which is done 

 to transplnnts, especially gum trees, by the Carton Nest Makei^s. all 



