THE TOBACCO BEETLE. 53 
ported that when this solution was used in casing stripped tobacco 
there was in some cases a noticeable decrease in the number of in- 
fested cigars. It was suggested that the quicker and higher fer- 
mentation destroys some of the eggs or other stages of the beetle 
and that the solution may have a toxic effect when applied externally. 
No exact data have been secured as to the efficiency of the remedy. 
USE OF COLD WATER IN CASING CIGAR TOBACCO. 
Several cigar manufacturers have reported some success in pre- 
venting infestation of finished cigars by casing the leaf in cold 
water and thoroughly shaking out the tobacco before it is used. 
BORIC ACID. 
Boric acid has been used as a remedy for the tobacco beetle, but to 
what extent and with what success is not known. In a letter re- 
ceived by the Bureau of Entomology in 1909 from an importer of 
leaf tobacco in Boston, Mass., reference is made to the use of this 
remedy in Cuba, it being stated that a 5 per cent solution of boric 
acid [B(OH,) | used in the water in which tobacco is cased before 
packing will prevent the tobacco from becoming wormy. The effect 
of boric acid on the quality of the tobacco has not been determined, 
but it is probable that no serious injury would occur if used in as 
dilute a solution as described. Both boric acid and borax are known 
to have some insecticidal value, and the treatment of manure piles 
with borax has proved effective against the larve of the house fly. 
While preliminary tests made with boric acid indicate that it has 
a toxic effect on larvee of the tobacco beetle, there has been no oppor- 
tunity to make tests of the substance on cigar tobacco in the manner 
mentioned above, nor to determine whether or not the remedy has 
any practical value in preventing or controlling infestation. 
PREVENTIVE MEASURES. 
In cigar stores and comparatively small establishments it is not a 
difficult matter to eradicate the tobacco beetle. By means of different 
remedies, infested stock may be treated and the building thoroughly 
cleaned. The humidors, or storage closets, should be perfectly tight 
and infested stocks promptly destroyed or treated as soon as signs 
of infestation are noticed. 3 
In large factories and tobacco warehouses, however, complete 
eradication in many instances is extremely difficult, or perhaps im- 
possible. The factories are in some cases old wooden buildings, 
roughly built, and containing innumerable cracks and crevices in 
1U. S. Dept. Agr. Buls. 118, 245, and 408. 
