RELATION TO THE HOUSEHOLD 231 



the housekeeper, and one of the first and most charac- 

 teristic signs of their presence is the round black spot 

 produced by their excrement on the bed linen or other 

 places where they have rested. Some extremely sen- 

 sitive persons recognize their presence by the peculiar 

 buggy odor, which is not ordinarily noticeable until the 

 insects are handled. Eggs are laid in the crevices in- 

 habited by the adults, in small batches, and oviposition 

 extends over a considerable period. They are whitish, 

 oval, reticulated, and, like most hemipterous eggs, of 

 rather large size, so that they are easily seen and recog- 

 nized. The total life cycle, from egg to adult, is about 

 forty-five days, and the insects do not breed during the 

 winter, except under unusual conditions. 



Given an ordinary infestation in an ordinary bed- 

 room, thorough work would mean taking out all bedding 

 and taking apart and examining the bed. With a large 

 bulb pipette force gasoline into every crevice however 

 small, and drench the binding and tuftings of the mat- 

 tress, wherever there is a folding over that might serve 

 as a hiding place. Force gasoline through the pipette 

 behind and under the base-boards, under the picture 

 moulding, behind all the trim of the room, and into all 

 other possible hiding places. Treat the wash-stand, 

 bureau and all other furniture to liberal doses, and 

 carefully examine all pictures for signs of either eggs or 

 "spots." If necessary remove the back to see whether 

 the insects have made their way under it. The gaso- 

 line will kill every insect it touches; but not the eggs, 

 so that a second treatment must be made to reach the 

 insects that hatched after the first. It will require 

 about one gallon of gasoline for a bedroom of good 

 size, with a normal amount of furniture, and the ma- 

 terial will hurt neither fabrics nor paper. Bad infesta- 

 tions in hotels, boarding-houses or tenements are best 



