Il6 THR AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



VI. 



The writer has found the following to be e:Tective: 



Kerosene i oz 



Oil of cedar i oz 



Oil of citronella i oz 



. Place a few drops on clothes and hang them near the bed. 



The odor of this is not offensive. 



Cock Roaches. 

 Cock roaches eat any kind of food, and frequently do a great 

 deal of damage. They are nocturnal and live in damp, dark places, 

 generalty about sinks or waiter places, flour bins and pantries. 

 They have a nauseating odor and want to live around garbage. The 

 thoughts of eating the food is intolerable. By some they are thought 

 to be carriers of disease. There are four kinds of roaches in this 

 country; The American Cock Roach {Periplaneia americana Linn) , 

 the Oriental Cock Roach {Blaita orientallis Linn) , Australian Roach 

 {Periplaneia ausiralasiae Fab) and the German Roach or "Ceroton 

 Bug" {Blatella germanica Linn). 



They are wingless and all have flat, thin bodies, and strong, 

 bitting jaws. As they live in cracks and under objects it is not 

 easy to exterminate them. Boiling water and good soap suds will 

 aid some in keeping down this pest. Dr. Hodges states the bat 

 and the common toad to be very e:7ective in exterminating this pest. 



I. 

 Borax is the best cock roach exterminator yet discovered. The 

 cockroach has a peculiar aversion to it, and will never return 

 where it has been once scattered. This salt is perfectly harmless 

 to human being and is to be much preferred. 



II. 

 A mixture of red lead, corn meal and m.oUasses will be eaten 

 eagerly by them and will soon exterminate them. 



III. 

 Large numbers may be killed b}'^ setting out two shallow dishes, 

 one containing flour and plaster of Paris mixed together and the 

 other water. Use four parts of flour to one part of plaster of 

 Paris. Arrange the dishes so that roaches can easily climb on 

 them and from one dish to the other. 



IV. 



Make a strong decoction of poke roots, when the strength is 

 out of the roots, mix the liquor with molasses and spread it on 



