MONTANA INSECT PESTS, 1951-1952 21 



DESTRUCTIVE HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 

 CLOVER MITES (Bryobia praetiosa) 

 Clover mites continued to represent a perennial household 

 pest throughout most of the state during the biennium. The best 

 treatment currently known is one of prevention by application of 

 summer oil emulsions or tetraethyl pyrophosphate outside of the 

 house before the mites make their semi-annual migration into 

 the dwelling. 



CLOTHES MOTHS (Tineidae family) 

 Clothes moths are a common pest throughout the state. Only 

 two inquiries were received regarding the control of this insect 

 during the biennium. It appears that the chlorinated hydrocarbon 

 insecticides are successfully holding this insect in check. 



SILVERFISH (Lepisma saccharina) 

 No inquiries were received regarding silverfish during the 

 biennium, though they are known to occur commonly through- 

 out the state. 



DERMESTIDS (Dermestidae family) 

 Reports or inquiries regarding dermestids were received from 

 Silver Bow, Toole, Park, and Beaverhead counties in 1951; from 

 Madison, Yellowstone, Fergus, and Phillips counties in 1952. In 

 contrast with silverfish and clothes moths, inquiries on dermestids 

 were far more frequent. Infestations have been observed where 

 it is doubtful that chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides would be 

 effective because they could not be applied to the infested areas. 

 Cases of this type have been handled with cyanide fumigation. 



TERMITES (Isoptera order) 

 Termite inquiries were received from Beaverhead, Yellow- 

 stone, Big Horn, Dawson, and Lewis and Clark counties in 1951; 

 from Lewis and Clark and Yellowstone counties in 1952. Field 

 observations have indicated certain tendencies of termite infes- 

 tations in Montana. Extensive damage of the type that is notice- 

 able and reported is almost always found in the older residential 

 dwellings usually involving houses built in the late 1800's or early 

 1900's. In some cases the infestations appear to be intense in local- 

 ized areas within these older residential districts. These intense 

 localized infestations sometimes involve only several lots but oc- 

 casionally involve several blocks. 



CEREAL INSECTS (Coleoptra and Lepidoptera orders) 

 Stored grain insects were prevalent in many parts of Montana 

 in 1951. This was principally due to the unusually high moisture 

 content of much of the grain harvested that year. Continued turn- 



