Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 45 

 Insects and Mites in Furniture. 



Some furniture and household pests sent by a correspondent of 

 the Board from Whitchui'ch, Glamorganshire, proved to be two species. 

 They were (i) the so-called " Death Watch " (Atropos divinatoria)— 

 the same name is given to certain furniture beetles, Anohium tessel- 

 lation, etc. — and (ii) Mites belonging to the genus Glyciphagus, and 

 were G. domesticus, De Geer, the Glyciphagus cursor, Gerv. Speci- 

 mens have been sent to A. Michael, Esq. for identification. They 

 are both best destroyed by fumigation. Sulphur is usually employed, 

 but if both the pests are particularly abundant the rooms should be 

 fumigated with hydrocyanic acid gas as well. Eooms should be 

 well brushed down and the floors washed with soft-soap and water. 

 Books, etc., which harbour the Atropos should be subjected to the 

 fumes of benzine in closed boxes. Fumigation with sulphur answers 

 best for the mites, but is not so effective upon the Atropos, hence 

 hydrocyanic gas is mentioned. (A full report on household mites 

 is given on page 120.) 



SUB-GEOUP C. FOOD. 

 I. The Larder Beetle. 



(Dermestes lardarius, L.) 



Some insects sent by Mr. Edgar J. Lewis to the Board of 

 Agriculture, and which had been attacking and causing damage 

 to winter-ciu'ed bacon, proved to be the Larder beetle {Dermestes 

 lardarius). This insect is common to North America, Europe, and 

 Asia. It attacks not only bacon and hams, but cheese, horns, 

 skins, feathers, hair, silk and other dry goods. Fresh liams and 

 bacon are not so liable to be attacked as those that are slightly 

 tainted, improperly cured or injured in any way. The beetles are 

 very disposed to lay tlieir eggs in any crevice, and have probably 

 done so in this case where the muslin bags are sewn up. The larvie 

 are very minute when first hatched and can easily penetrate muslin 

 unless it is very fine. The larvaa as they mature bury themselves in 

 the bacon, but at first they feed on the exterior. 



Teeatment. 



Bacon is best hung as is sometimes done in America, in thin 

 paper bags, care being talceu that all crevices are closed, or else the 



