294 INSECTS AFFECTING MAN AND HOUSEHOLD 



affect paint and varnishes if used too freely. It will not destroy 

 the eggs; a treatment of gasoline, therefore, should be repeated 

 in about two weeks after the first treatment. A good and very 

 poisonous compound may be made by dissolving two ounces of 

 powdered corrosive sublimate in one pint of water, allowing it to 

 stand two days; then add an equal quantity of alcohol and shake 

 thoroughly. This may be applied with an oil can in every crevice 

 and crack in the bedstead. Kerosene applied in the same way as 



FIG. 302. Black carpet beetle, larva, and 

 imago. Much enlarged. 



FIG. 303. The common bed-bug. Much 

 enlarged. (Lugger.) 



gasoline is also effective. The bed-bug is capable of going a long 

 time without food. 



Crickets (Gryllus sp.). The different species of crickets are 

 almost too common to warrant detailed description. They vary 

 in color from brownish to black, the variation depending upon the 

 species. In the females the ovipositor is as long as, or longer than, 

 the abdomen (Fig. 304). 



Injury. These insects occasionally make their way into the 

 house and become pests. In such cases they eat clothing, espe- 

 cially if it is a little damp, and they also attack foodstuffs. When 



