CHAPTER XXXVI 



PESTS 



TJffHITE ANTS (Termes Gestroi). The common ants 

 ^r belong to the same order of insects as bees and wasps, 

 but the termites, or white ants, are in no way connected with 

 that order. The white ants belong to the same family of insects 

 as the dragon-fly. In a colony or nest of white ants there is a 

 queen who is the parent of her subjects. The subjects are of 

 two classes soldiers and workers. 



White ants are generally the most troublesome pest against 

 which planters have to contend. Naturally, white ants are 

 most troublesome on estates in the close vicinity of jungle, or 

 in cases where there is a good deal of decaying timber lying on 

 the soil. On estates which have been formerly under lalang 

 they are not nearly so much in evidence. If white ants con- 

 fined themselves to the destruction of decaying timber they 

 might be regarded with complacence, but, unfortunately, this 

 is not the case. Even where there is an abundance of decaying 

 wood they sometimes seem to like a change of diet and to attack 

 healthy growing trees. On this account they have to be kept 

 under close observation, hunted out and exterminated. 



For the extirpation of white ants insecticide powders have 

 generally been found of little avail, and fumigation is generally 

 regarded as the only satisfactory method of dealing with them. 

 White arsenic and sulphur, both very cheap chemicals, are 

 found most efficient for fumigating purposes. Five-sixth parts 

 of coarse white arsenic to one-sixth part of flowers of sulphur 

 makes a good mixture. Small machines are to be readily 

 obtained for blowing the fumes into the burrows of the white 

 ants. These burrows, which are often of considerable length, 

 should be traced out up to the nest before fumigation is started. 



Mole crickets are troublesome on occasion, especially on 

 estates which have very young rubber. They have been known 



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