330 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



it is then dropped in some sheltered corner or crevice and splits open 

 along one side, where a seam exists, giving the young a chance to 

 escape. The young are without trace of w r ings until late in fall, 

 and grow very slowly. All the species run rapidly and even the 

 heavy oriental gets over the ground at a surprising gait and climbs 

 remarkably well. 



In general, the insects favor warm and moist places, and they 

 are, therefore, most abundant where such conditions occur. In the 

 southern parts of the country they are much more abundant than 

 further north, and even a little difference in average temperature 

 makes a great difference in degree of infestation. 



Roaches may be carried from place to place in many ways and 

 find no difficulty in getting from one house to another in a row. In 

 detached houses they are usually introduced from infested localities. 

 I have seen specimens in a basket of laundry brought from the wash- 

 erwoman, and in a box of groceries brought from the store. If such 

 specimens are of both sexes, or if even one is a fertilized female, 

 colonization is complete. 



The actual damage done by these insects is not often very great ; 

 but they are not nice to have around, and often muss and spoil 

 food products or give the utensils invaded by them an unpleasant 

 odor which is not easily gotten rid of. The housekeeper, therefore, 

 is usually anxious to clear them out. 



Where matters have become very bad, or in stores or warehouses, 

 fumigating with the hydro-cyanic acid gas, as later described, is the 

 most effective and on the whole the simplest remedy. If the appli- 

 cation is made in early spring or late fall, either before the egg cases 

 have matured or after the young have all hatched, one fumigation 

 will be sufficient. If it is made while the females are carrying fully 

 matured egg pods, a second application a month later may be nec- 

 essary. Sulphur is also useful and even pyrethrum may be employed 

 to good advantage. 



In dwellings where the infestation is limited or not serious, 

 milder measures are available. In the first place, kill all roaches 

 whenever they are seen ; with putty, white lead or other substances 

 fill up the cracks and crevices where the insects usually hide, so as 

 to reduce their retreats as much as possible. 



Places that cannot be reached in this way should be thoroughly 

 syringed with the solution of bichloride of mercury, described under 

 the bed-bug remedies, and this will be particularly useful behind 

 loose wainscotings and baseboards. 



Roach powders and poisons are usually unsatisfactory, as a 

 sole reliance, especially against the black beetles or oriental roaches. 

 Against the croton bugs a mixture of equal parts of sweet choco- 

 late and powdered borax, ground up together in a mortar, is about 

 as good as anything I know of. Powdered sugar is sometimes used 

 instead of chocolate, or all three may be used together; bakers' in- 

 stead of sweet chocolate being then employed. The roaches are after 

 the sweets and incidentally get the borax, which is fatal to them. 

 Quite a number of the fatal foods and roach destroyers sold by 



