CHAPTER VI 

 INSECTS OF THE HOUSEHOLD 



Almost every house is invaded at some time during the 

 summer by insects other than the house fly which seems to be 

 always present. Some of these insects, like the house fly, stable 

 fly, mosquito, flea, and bedbug, will be described in Chapters 

 VIII, IX, and X in connection with the transmission of disease 

 germs. The other household insects either simply make them- 

 selves a general nuisance, like the cockroach and the silver fish, 

 or contaminate food, as do the ants, meal worm, and cheese skip- 

 per, or destroy clothing, rugs, carpets, etc., like the carpet 

 beetle and clothes moth. 



Silver Fish. — The silver fish (Fig. 35, A) is one of the simplest 

 of all insects. It has no wings, but is not degenerate, since 

 neither it nor its ancestors ever possessed wings. The silvery 

 appearance of its body, which is due to very small scales, sug- 

 gested its common name. Starchy substances serve as food 

 material and this is gnawed at night or under cover, since the 

 silver fish always works in the dark. Very little if any damage 

 is done by these insects, but one doesn't like to have the house 

 overrun with them. They may be destroyed by dusting pyre- 

 thrum powder in their hiding places. 



Cockroaches. — Four different kinds of cockroaches are com- 

 mon in this country, the American cockroach, the Oriental cock- 

 roach (Fig. 35, B), the Australian roach, and the German roach 

 or " croton bug." All of them are very flat, soft-bodied insects 

 able to creep into small crevices, and provided with slender legs 

 fitted for running. They work at night and have a preference 

 for kitchens, where they feed on all sorts of scraps, leaving a 



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