THE ECONOMIC BIOLOGY OF INVERTEBRATES- 475 



under old bark are caused by them. Treatment: destroy infested 

 trees or branches; dig out borers in fall; encourage the birds. 



GARDEN PESTS 



Potato " Bug." A beetle whose familiar red larva .does damage. 

 Treatment: spray with poison. Arsenate of lead is better than 

 the familiar Paris green. 



Squash Bug. A true bug; bad odor; eggs under leaves; feeds 

 by sucking juices. Treatment: kill adult bugs early in season 

 to prevent egg laying; destroy eggs. 



Cabbage Worm. Larva of white or yellow butterflies. Treat- 

 ment: spray young plants with poison or dust older plants with 

 lime; catch adults in nets. 



HOUSEHOLD PESTS 



Flies and Mosquitoes. (See Chapter 25.) 



Buffalo Carpet Beetle. Adults one-eighth inch long; have white 

 and red markings, may be brought in on flowers; larva covered 

 with bristles; eat carpets, feathers, etc. Treatment: take up 

 carpets and spray with benzine (outdoors); fill floor cracks; use 

 rugs. 



Cockroaches and Croton Bugs. True bugs; scavengers; very 

 prolific. Treatment: use poisons, traps, cleanliness. 



Clothes' Moths. Larva of small gray moth; often in webbed 

 cases; attack fur, woolen, etc. Treatment: frequent brushing; 

 tight packing; use of camphor or naphthalene; cold storage. 



It will be noticed that some insects suck their food by piercing 

 the bark, while others eat the foliage. The former have to be 

 treated with " contact poisons," like oil emulsions and whale oil 

 soap, which will kill if they touch the body. The latter are de- 

 stroyed by " digestive poisons," such as Paris green and Hellebore, 

 which the insects eat with their food. 



Among the beneficial insects we should learn to recognize the 

 " lady bug " a red beetle whose larvae feed on plant lice, and the 

 lace wing fly whose larvae also favor the same diet and thus protect 

 our plants. Another useful insect is the long-tailed Thallessa 



