INSECTS WHICH ATTACK CLOTHES 



139 



The ant. 



to find their nest and pour into it a few ounces of carbon 



bisulphide. (This is a dangerous liquid to handle, but 



is less explosive than gasoline.) Colonies 



of ants in the house may be treated also 



with gasoline or boiling water, and the ants 



may be kept from getting into the house 



by placing a border of some substance that 



they do not like, such as powdered borax, on 



the threshold. Sulphonaphthol is another 



efficient means of ridding the house of ants. 



Insects which attack clothes. Two insects, clothes 

 moths and carpet beetles (Buffalo moth or Buffalo bug), 

 are pests which do much damage to stored materials, espe- 

 cially our clothes and rugs. The young, or larvae, feed 

 on the woolen and fur of the clothes, and do much damage 

 in this way. If these materials are well dusted and allowed 

 to hang outside in the sun a few hours before putting them 

 away for the summer, and then packed into tight boxes or 

 bags, they will not be troubled by moths. Moth balls and 



camphor keep out 

 the insects, but do 

 not kill them, so that 

 if clothes are put 

 away with the in- 

 sect in them they 

 will not be pro- 

 tected. The carpet 

 beetle can be fought 

 It feeds on carpets 



The clothes moth, i, eggs; 2, larva; 3, pupa; 

 4, adult. 



in the same way as the clothes moth, 

 and other goods stored away. 



Household insects may be grouped according to the 

 damage they do. The following experiment is suggested 



