138 HOUSEHOLD PESTS AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM 



attached to hairs, and can only be removed after thoroughly 

 washing and combing. The application of larkspur is 

 found to kill the pests. 



Bedbugs. Although the bedbug is usually found in 

 dirty homes, it may come from outside into clean houses. 

 Bedbugs move around only at night, and 

 their very flat bodies get into small crevices, 

 especially along wall boards and in wooden 

 beds, where they may become very annoy- 

 ing. They are much more active in hot 

 The bedbug. weather than in cold. While the bite is not 

 serious, it is believed sometimes to carry diseases. To rid 

 the house of bedbugs it is necessary to clean all furniture 

 and woodwork thoroughly. Every crack in the furniture 

 and floors should be treated with formalin or an insecticide 

 made particularly for destroying this pest. 



Insects which attack food. Some household pests 

 are attracted to the house by our food. Cockroaches are 

 found usually around sinks or in food closets. They eat 

 almost anything, and are apt to be a great nuisance, al- 

 though the damage they do is not very great. 

 They are difficult to get rid of, as every house- 

 wife knows. They may be poisoned by feed- 

 ing them a mixture of sugar and powdered 

 borax. All cracks and crevices where they 

 hide should be sprayed with bisulphide of car- 

 bon which will kill them. They may be 



. 11. The cockroach. 



trapped by plating food in a deep dish into 



which they may crawl by means of sticks, but from which 



they cannot get out. 



Ants also are very troublesome, as they destroy many 

 kinds of foods. The best way to rid the house of them is. 



