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removal of flooring or opening the walls, the colony may be destroyed 

 by the removal of the decaying or weakened timbers and a thorough 

 drenching with steam, hot water, or, preferably, kerosene or some 

 other petroleum oil. The destruction of winged individuals as they 

 emerge is of no value whatever ; the colony itself must be reached 

 or future damage will not be interfered with in the least. If the 

 colony be inaccessible it may sometimes be possible to inject into the 

 walls or crevices, from which the winged individuals are emerging, 

 kerosene in sufficient quantity to reach the main nest, if the condi- 

 tions be such as to indicate that it may be near b3^ and by this means 

 most, if not all, of the inmates may be killed. Where floorings and 

 underpinnings, or books and papers, are badly infested and a whole- 

 sale treatment is imperative, the hydrocyanic acid-gas fumigation is 

 to be recommended, first opening the floors at the neighborhood of 

 the colonies as nearly as can be determined, spreading out the books 

 and opening cases, wardrobes, etc. For full directions see Circular 

 No. 40 of this series. 



The flooring of buildings in subtropical and tropical countries 

 should be of cement or stone, or at least the lower timbers and joists 

 should be imbedded in cement, and wherever it proves impossible to 

 prevent damage by the means indicated in a previous paragraph, 

 there is practically no other course than to replace the foundation 

 and floorings with stone, cement, or other form of stone composition. 

 Impregnation with creosote renders wood comparatively immune from 

 their attacks ; but this is too costly and difficult a process to come 

 into very general use. A heavy coating with tar of the foundation 

 timbers is often resorted to, and if carefully done protects the wood 

 as long as the coating is intact. Placing the legs of stands, bureaus, 

 etc., not in daily use, in small vessels containing kerosene oil will 

 protect such articles of furniture from the attacks of white ants in 

 the Tropics. In the Tropics, also, furniture should not lean against 

 or touch the walls, especially in houses of wood, and frequent exam- 

 inations should be made of libraries and stored papers. 



Washington, D. C, June 30, 1902. 



