330 JOURNAL OP ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [A^ol. 2 



honey and other food, with the result that the mortality within the 

 colony slightly exceeded the rate of reproduction and the entire colony 

 became extinct in forty-four days after the beginning of the experi- 

 ment. 



When not supplemented by other measures, such as mechanical de- 

 struction of the colonies, the use of these mixtures will not be found 

 satisfactory unless used steadily and persistently for a long period. 



Sweetened preparations of soluble arsenic are of little direct use 

 as they kill the majority of the foraging workers taking them and lit- 

 tle, if any, of the poison reaches the colony proper. Such prepara- 

 tions are, however, useful in driving the ants away from limited areas 

 within buildings, as described below\ 



Repellents 



Various schemes and substances have been tested for the purpose 

 of keeping the ants off tables, away from food stuffs and out of build- 

 ings and rooms, but the only ones worthy of mention are the cor- 

 rosive sublimate "ant tape" and the sweetened solutions of white 

 arsenic. 



Ant Tape 



Ants of this (and of some other) species will not cross cotton cloth 

 or tape which has been thoroughly soaked in a saturated water solu- 

 tion of corrosive sublimate and then dried. In practice the tape is 

 tacked around table legs, around edges of shelves, etc., to protect 

 sugar, candy, meat, syrup, and similar materials. Our method of 

 preparation is to first prepare a solution of the corrosive sublimate by 

 heating the sublimate and water in a porcelain or granite ivare vessel 

 until the maximum amount is dissolved. This solution is allowed to 

 cool to ordinary temperatures, then filtered, and ordinar^^ cotton or 

 binding tape soaked in the filtrate for several hours. The tape is 

 removed and pinned up on a wall to dry, after which it is ready for 

 use. It is very important that no iron, tin or steel come in contact 

 with the solution or wdth the tape itself after being made. In actual 

 test we have found the tape thus prepared to successfully repel the 

 ants for eleven months without being renewed. 



For several years "ant tapes" and "ant papers" of this character 

 have been on sale in New Orleans and other southern cities in the 

 infested region. The ant paper is usually prepared by painting a 

 sheet of paper with corrosive sublimate solution or some mixture 

 containing it. Most of the commercial ant tapes and papers are care- 

 lessly made and hence are often found next to useless or are effective 

 for but a short time. 



