COCKROACHES AND HOUSE ANTS. 99 



holes made iu the uest with a stick, promptly closing the holes with the 

 foot. The bisuli)hide penetrates through the underground tunnels 

 and kills the ants in enormous numbers, and if api)lied with sufficient 

 liberality will exterminate the whole colony. 



Whenev^er the nests of any of these ants can not be located, there is 

 no other resource but the temporary expedient of destroying them 

 wherever they occur in the house. The best means of effecting this 

 end is to attract them to small bits of sponge moistened with sweetened 

 water and placed in the situations where they are most numerous. 

 These sponges may be collected several times daily and the ants 

 swarming in them destroyed by immersion in hot water. It is reported 

 also that a sirup made by dissolving borax and sugar in boiling water 

 will effect the destruction of the ants readily and iu numbers. The 

 removal of the attracting substances, wherever practicable, should 

 always be the first step. 



That it is possible to drive ants away from household sui)plies by the 

 use of repellants is asserted by a Washington lady who has been much 

 troubled in the i^ast with these pests. Her practice, which she says 

 has always given complete satisfaction, consists in placing gum cam- 

 phor, either free or wrapped loosely in x^aper, in pantry, sugar barrel, 

 or other situation infested with ants. The odor of the camphor seems 

 to be very distasteful to them and they promptly leave the premises. 



