UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 1051 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 



L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



And the Bureau of Plant Industry 



WILLIAM A. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



April 13, 1922 



RED CEDAR CHESTS AS PROTECTORS AGAINST 

 MOTH DAMAGE. 



By E. A. Back, Entomologist in Charge of Stored Product Insect Investigations, 

 Bureau of Entomology,' and Frank Rabak, Chemical Biologist, Drug, 

 Poisonous, and Oil Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry. 



CONTENTS. 



Introductory 



Source, distribution, and description 



of red cedar 



Uses of red cedar 



Aroma of red cedar 



Cedar chest experiments 



Effect upon adult moths 



Effect upon eggs 



Page. 



Page. 

 Cedar chest experiments — Continued. 



Effect upon larva? 7 



Cedar chests do not kill one- 

 half to full-grown larvae 8 



Cedar chests kill young larva?- 9 



Conclusions 11 



Literature cited 14 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Chests made of red cedar have the reputation of protecting cloth- 

 ing stored in them from the ravages of clothes moths. There has 

 been, however, much difference of opinion as to whether the supposed 

 protection comes from the tightness of the chests which excludes 

 moths, or from an inherent quality of the wood that actually kills 

 moths accidentally placed in them with fabrics and furs. Consider- 

 ing the centuries-old belief, entertained among so many peoples, 

 that this odoriferous cedar affords protection against moth attack, 

 surprisingly little has .been done to determine whether or not chests 

 made of this wood are efficacious. Working with the southern or 

 webbing clothes moth, Tineola biselliella Hummel (PI. II, A), the 

 writers undertook ;i comprehensive study of the effect of red cedar 

 chests upon adults, eggs, and larva: to ascertain whether or noi chests 

 made of red cedar could be considered as adequate protection of 

 clothing again I t hese insed . 



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