INSECTS OF THE HOUSEHOLD 77 



The times and seasons in the story of the carpet 

 beetle's life are not definitely stated in the books, which 

 means that there is all the more for pupils to find out. 

 There are probably two broods a year. Adults of the 

 second brood begin to emerge in the fall and continue 

 coming out through the winter, so that by spring, in an 

 infested house, the rooms will be full of them. They are 

 day fliers, are attracted to the light, and hence, on sunny 

 days in early spring, they gather in numbers on the win- 

 dows. They feed on the pollen of flowers especially of 

 the Scrophulariaceae (mullein and snapdragon) and certain 

 of the Compositae (milfoil). They are also fond of the spi- 

 raeas, and may be found on willow, currant, and cherry blos- 

 soms. It is stated in the books that " they have probably" 

 deposited their eggs about the carpets before they seek 

 the flowers in the spring, but it would be safe to brush 

 them from the window panes into a saucer of kerosene 

 oil. 



Remedies. From what we have already learned of their 

 life story, we see that when a house is once infested it 

 is a desperate undertaking to get rid of the pests, living 

 as they do in all sorts of cracks and crevices. Carpets 

 must be taken out and thoroughly sprayed with naphtha 

 or benzine, floors must be scalded, the cracks cleaned out 

 and kerosene or benzine poured into them. Even then 

 the best way to deal with the carpet beetle is to revolu- 

 tionize ideas of housekeeping and substitute hard-wood or 

 stained or painted floors with rugs for tacked-down carpets. 

 Further, since dust and stuffiness are the most unhealth- 

 ful features of American homes, this change is likely to 

 prove highly conducive to health ; and if the carpet beetle 



