THE HYMENOPTERA 373 



Control. — Heavy rains, causing a flooding of the nests is a natural means 

 of checking the ravages of these insects, many being killed, particularly 

 in cold weather. Barriers on the legs of tables, beds, etc., consisting of 

 tape, soaked in a saturated solution of corrosive sublimate (Hg CI2), 

 dried, and then fastened around such places will keep the ants away for 

 several months at least. A generous supply of naphthaline in the form 

 of moth balls, placed in a dish in which a leg of a piece of furniture rests is 

 also effective, provided each leg is thus treated. Kerosene instead of moth 

 balls, as already described, is generally of some value as a protection. 



Various ant poisons have been tested, and a syrup of granulated 

 sugar, water, tartaric acid, sodium arsenite and honey has been found 

 to be very effective, and it also keeps well. Placed in a tight tin with 

 two sides dented in and with a tin cover, the ants can enter and feed 

 while the syrup remains protected from the weather. A gill or two of 

 syrup and a fairly large piece of sponge floating in it will complete the 

 trap for use. Traps should be placed both in and around the house, of 

 course out of the reach of children, and by adding a bail or handle can 

 be hung on walls, the branches of trees and in similar situations. Eight 

 or ten of these are sufficient for an ordinary city house and lot and will 

 be effective at least for 6 or 8 weeks. 



House Ants. — These are of several kinds but the one most usually 

 troublesome is the Little Red Ant {Monomorium pharaonis L.), probably 

 a native of Europe but now abundant in nearly all countries. It is very 

 small, red in color, and makes its nests in walls, floors, sills or other 

 timbers, whence it explores all parts of the houses, paying particular 

 attention to those places where food is found. Oftentimes regular lines 

 of these pests may be found marching from some article of food they 

 have discovered to their nest, and another line beside the first, on their 

 way to obtain food. In such cases it is sometimes easy to trace their 

 line of march back to where they enter some timber in which their nest 

 is placed, and then the injection into the holes where they enter, 

 of carbon disulfid or benzine may prove sufficient to kill the queen 

 or queens and terminate the life of the colony. In too many cases 

 though, it is impossible to locate, or perhaps io reach the nest. Where 

 this is true it has been found that small pieces of sponge, soaked in mo- 

 lasses and water, and a little arsenic, placed where ants are will generally 

 attract the pests, which will feed upon the poisoned syrup and be killed. 

 In this way the number of individuals is frequently reduced more rapidly 

 than the colony increases and the ants gradually become less abundant 

 and finally disappear. Simple protection of food or other materials can 

 usually be obtained by placing around such articles a continuous, liberal 

 band of powdered cloves. 



Where ants are nesting in living trees they usually enter where some 

 limb has been lost, and their entrance holes in the wood can be found. 



