336 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



away should be clean and should be first beaten and brushed thor- 

 oughly. It is well, in addition to sprinkle naphthaline crystals 

 between the layers of clothing, for the moths keep away from 

 the odor, and the larvae, while they are not killed, do not seem to 

 feed much. Material packed in tight pasteboard boxes and sealed 

 by pasting paper strips over the cover junction, is safe if it was 

 clean when put away. A good way to keep coats, cloaks and other 

 garments is to tie them in long paper sacks or sound, close, pillow 

 cases, and hang free in an attic. Wrapping in newspapers is 

 almost as good, provided at least a double wrapping is made. The 

 young caterpillars will not eat through paper, and if there are 

 several wrappings will fail to find their way to the garments. In 

 fact, the essential points are, uninfested material, in the first place, 

 an uninfested tight receptacle or a covering of linen, cotton or 

 paper so complete as to prevent the insects from getting through it. 



If clothing must hang in closets or wardrobes without protec- 

 tion the closet or wardrobe should be thoroughly cleaned out in 

 April, all the walls should be swept down and the woodwork should 

 be treated with gasoline. At intervals of three or four weeks the 

 clothing should be overhauled and the closet walls examined for 

 signs of moth. If there is any infestation, some cases are almost sure 

 to be found on the walls, and then it means the thorough overhauling 

 of closet contents, airing and brushing, and a free use of gasoline. 



Moths should be killed, if possible, whenever they are noted, 

 and, of course, all cases containing caterpillars should be carefully 

 gathered and destroyed. Aside from this and a free use of gasoline 

 there is no reliable destructive agent. Repellants alone will not pro- 

 tect clothing or other fabrics, and a dependence on camphor, moth 

 balls, tobacco or similar materials will prove more or less unsatisfac- 

 tory. Nevertheless, in connection with tight receptacles or coverings 

 they are useful, and naphthaline is as good as any. 



There will be no development of the insects at any temperature 

 below forty degrees, hence it has become quite a practice to place 

 furs and other expensive garments in cold storage, where they will 

 be safe whether infested or not. By attention to the principles here 

 set out, a careful housekeeper will be able to avoid trouble ; there is 

 nothing that will help a careless or neglectful one. 



Bed-Bugs. These insects occur everywhere but are more com- 

 mon in cities, towns and villages than they are in farm-houses, and 

 in some villages they seem to be entirely unknown. They occur 

 not only in houses but in railroad cars, in steamboats and other 

 public conveyances and, while they are essentially nocturnal, they 

 do move about to some extent during the day. Specimens are often 

 seen crawling on the clothing of passengers in railroads and trolley 

 cars, and any person using the usual methods of public convey- 

 ance may introduce the pests into the home. There are, of course, 

 many other methods of introduction, not the least important of 

 which is in the servants' quarters, and no matter how careful the 

 housekeeper, occasional infestation will occur. In hotels, board- 



