532 



Its action is primarily that of a stomach poison. Not less than 12 

 per cent, borax, in combination with inert matter, required from 

 3 to 7 clays to kill 100 per cent, of the insects in cage tests. 



Phosphorus pastes were partly effective in cage tests, and only 

 slightly so in room tests. 



The various hydrocarbon-oil sprays, undiluted, killed from 80 to 

 100 per cent, in treated cages, and similarly coal-tar creosote emulsions, 

 undiluted, killed 100 per cent, in cage tests, but their effectiveness 

 fell very rapidly when even shghtly diluted with water. 



Substances tried but found ineffective were : — Tobacco powders 

 containing as much as 5 '26 per cent, nicotine ; plaster of Paris and 

 flour mixture ; and 38 miscellaneous materials, including camphor, 

 eucalyptus leaves, g}^sum, lime, quassia, sodium carbonate, Cayenne 

 pepper and sidphur. 



Fumigation with sulphur, at the rate of 9 oz. sulphur to 1,000 

 cubic feet, was effective ; but nicotine, at the rate of 8 oz. tobacco 

 extract (40 per cent, nicotine in the fornt of sulphate) to 1,000 cubic 

 feet, was not so. 



The two important species of clothes-moths occurring in the United 

 States are Tineola bisellieUa, Hum., and Tinea pellioneUa, L. In 

 experimental work the former species was used exclusively on account 

 of its abundance in Washington, its larger size, and the fact that it 

 readily leaves its case when disturbed. 



In addition to a number of cage tests, which are described in detail, 

 several room and trunk experiments under more nearly practical 

 conditions were made against the adults. The results showed that 

 naphthaline was uniformly effective in protecting woollens from 

 infestation and in killing all stages of the insect, the same being true 

 of camphor to a less extent. A red-cedar chest killed all adult moths, 

 -and showed considerable killing effect upon young larvae. It did 

 not prevent the hatching of eggs, but Idlled the resulting larvae 

 immediately. Red-cedar chips and shavings protected flannel from 

 injury when used liberally, but had no effect upon eggs, or upon 

 larvae when more than one-fourth grown. Pyrethrum powder 

 readily killed the larvae, and various mixtures of oils were effective 

 in protecting clothing from infestation, when used undiluted or slightly 

 diluted, and when used undiluted they killed 100 per cent. Laundry 

 soap in strong solutions killed both larvae and eggs, and powdered 

 cloves, sodium fluoride, and 95 per cent, alcohol, undiluted, killed 

 the larvae. 



Paradichlorobenzene was not effective against adults and larvae 

 in a room fumigation test lasting 21 hours, but effectively killed 

 larvae in battery-jar tests. Various tobacco extracts used at reason- 

 able strengths were valueless. Lavender flowers, Cayenne pepper 

 and all-spice were ineffective, but clover and oil of lavender were 

 effective in protecting flannel from infestation by the adults. All- 

 spice, angelica root, black pepper, borax, Cayenne pepper, colocynth 

 pulp, eucalyptus leaves, formaldehyde, hellebore, lead carbonate, 

 lead oxide, quassia chips, sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate 

 were valueless against the larvae. Borax, salt and sulphur did not 

 kill the eggs, which were, however, destroyed by ethyl alcohol in 

 50 per cent, and 70 per cent, solutions, and also by a 16 per cent, 

 solution of formaldehyde. 



