[NSECT NOTES PROM MINNESOTA FOB I 1< 



found in the pantries and kitchen, getting on food just before it was 

 taken into the dining room. 



Clusters of cocoons were located in the walls of the furnace room 

 in the basement, this room being directly beneath the kitchen and 

 pantries. At first carbon bisulphid was used with good results, the 

 liquid being forced into crevice- in the walls where the ants < 

 observed, but the gas penetrated to all part- of the house and was 

 particularly disagreeable to the members of the household. A- far 

 a- could be observed these "nests" were never placed very deeply 

 within the wall, and consequently when we had to resort to kero- 

 sene we found this liquid to be just a- effective as was the carbon 

 bisulphid. Thi> was applied with a syringe. The ant- that were 

 out of the "nests" at the time of applying the liquid would, upon 

 their return, seek another crevice, and would soon found a new 

 colony: then the>e new colonies would be located and saturated with 

 kerosene. Finally, in January or February. 1906, no ant- were seen 

 about the house; they had completely disappeared, and we were con- 

 fident that they had all been destroyed. In the fall of 1906, however, 

 they became very numerous again, and our attack- against them with 

 kerosene were renewed. Several nests were found in practically the 

 same places a- in the previous year, but the most persistent colony 

 wa- found, seemingly, in the chimney. The nest it-elf. however, was 

 never seen. The extermination of the ants in this location was ex- 

 tremely difficult, but at the time of writing their numbers appear 

 much lessened. 



Many so-called " ant cure- " were tried, such a- " ant sugar," 

 pennyroyal, and tartaric acid solution made according to the formula 

 given on page 97 of Bulletin 30 of the Division of Entomology, 

 I". S. Department of Agriculture, viz. tartaric acid. 1<> grams; 

 sugar, 100 gram-: water. 1,000 gram-. None of these remedies was 

 effective. 



We had planned during the winter, when the house was to be 

 unoccupied, to fumigate with hydrocyanic acid gas, but on or about 

 December 22 every ant had disappeared, and we are now awaiting 

 their reappearance before taking active measures against them. 



Ii was decided to make the discussion on this paper and the presi- 

 dent's address the first order of business for the afternoon session. 



On motion the following committees were appointed by the 

 president : 



Nominations: Messrs, Marlatt, Osborn, and Webster. 



Resoluti< s: Messrs. Fletcher, Slingerland, and Sanderson. 



Membership: Messrs. w. l>. Hunter. Summers, ami J. B. Smith. 



-No. 67 — 07 2 



