ANTS 175 



us that he gathered 349,500 workers in his rooms in six 

 weeks besides a great many that he killed or threw into 

 the fire without estimating their numbers. All of the 

 workers evidently came from one nest located somewhere 

 in the walls of the house. 



There are a few redeeming features about the red ant 

 that are worthy of note. Pergande, a careful entomologist 

 and close observer, says that he saw an old building at 

 Meridian, Mississippi, used as a barracks during the war, 

 filled with bedbugs, but invaded by myriads of red ants. 

 He said that several ants would attack a bedbug, pull 

 off its legs, and carry the helpless body away. Every 

 crack and crevice of the rough beds were sought out by 

 the ants and the young and old bedbugs dragged forth 

 and killed. 



A correspondent of the Florida Farmer and Fruit 

 Grower says that this habit of destroying bedbugs is 

 well known and advises the introduction of red ants into 

 houses for the purpose of exterminating these pests. If 

 the ants would leave when the bugs were killed, all would 

 be well ; but if they should happen to remain as permanent 

 inhabitants of the dwelling, it would be a question whether 

 any gain had been made. 



Another interesting role played by red ants is that of 

 destroying the white grubs in soil, as related by G. H. 

 Perkins, another observant entomologist. He says, " that 

 a box in which a number of the larvae were living having 

 been discovered by the ants they at once took possession 

 and promptly destroyed every one of them, and this leads 

 to the conclusion that perhaps we are more deeply in- 

 debted than we have been aware to ants for destroying 

 those larvae which inhabit the ground." 



