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Furniture Beetles. 



A. fianiceum L., and A. mollis L., are the domestic forms. 

 Furniture and woodwork are chiefly damaged by A. domesticum 

 and X. tessellatUm. The species A. paniceum attacks all kinds 

 of stored goods, such as flour, bread, biscuits, medical store's* 

 skins, &c.,and has been introduced into most of our towns, but 

 appears not to be common in Scotland. 



Anobinm domesticum is a most destructive furniture pest, the 

 larvae eating galleries into the solid wood, and often so completely 

 riddling it that it falls to pieces. Tables, chairs, and furniture 

 generally, may become so honeycombed by these pests that they 

 suddenly collapse. The exits to these galleries are seen as small 

 round holes in the woodwork. In soft woods they soon cause 

 complete destruction. 



Xestobium tessellatum is also generally distributed, and occurs 

 in old trees, such as oaks and willows, but especially in old wood 

 in churches and houses. It is also rare in Scotland. Both these 

 species make a curious ticking noise, which has given rise to 

 their popular name of il Death Watch." This noise is made 

 chiefly during the pairing season, and is produced by the beetles 

 striking their heads upon the wood on which they are standing 

 so as to attract their mates, who make a similar noise in reply. It 

 is made during the day as well as at night, but it is not so 

 noticeable as at the latter time. Several species make this 

 ticking noise, but those most often heard in the house are 

 A. domesticum and X. tessallatum. It is said that the larva can 

 also produce this sound, but this is not definitely known. 



The larvae make long galleries into the wood and when mature 

 pupate in little chambers, from which the beetles escape by eating 

 their way out. 



Treatment. — Where furniture or woodwork is attacked by 

 these beetles and their larvae, steps should be taken at once to- 

 destroy them, as they return generation after generation to lay 

 their eggs on the same object until it crumbles away altogether. 

 Amongst the best ways of treating attacked furniture are the 

 following : — 



{a) Painting with a camel-hair brush with corrosive sublimate. 

 This poison kills the beetles as they make their exit. 



(b) Fumigating with hydrocyanic acid gas. Where small 

 objects such as chairs are invaded they may be put in some 



