46 



Insect, Fungus and other Pests. [april, 



to provisions in houses, stores, &c, andjare frequently a great 

 pest. They may be dealt with as follows : — 



(1) Persian insect powder (Pyrethrum) or Keating's insect 

 powder may be thoroughly dusted amongst their haunts ; 

 this will at least stupefy the cockroaches, which should be swept 

 together and dropped into boiling water. 



(2) Flour and sugar may be mixed with a little plaster of 

 Paris, and the mixture spread in the runs ; the insects which 

 eat the mixture will be killed. 



(3) Steep-sided basins containing some sweetened liquid 

 may be placed here and there where the insects are troublesome. 

 Little pieces of wood should be placed against the basins, so 

 that the cockroaches can reach them, and once they have got 

 into the basins the wingless forms will be unable to get out. 

 The cockroaches trapped should have boiling water poured 

 over them, thus causing instantaneous death. Patent traps 

 for destroying cockroaches may be purchased. 



Otiorhynchus Beetle. — Pupae of an Otiorhynchus beetle 

 were forwarded from Bournemouth during February. These 

 beetles are harmful both in the grub and the adult state, the 

 grubs doing harm below ground and the adults above. In- 

 formation as to these beetles will be found in Leaflet No. 2 

 (Vine, Plum, Hop and Raspberry Weevils). The beetles may be 

 trapped by twisting bands of hay here and there among the 

 plants. These traps should be visited regularly and the beetles 

 destroyed. 



Springtails. — Specimens of scarlet runners from Preston 

 and of irises from Sidcup were found to be infested with spring- 

 tails or Collembola. Although the destructiveness of these in- 

 sects has been proved, it is unlikely that " the general failure 

 of irises and liliums " remarked on by the Sidcup correspondent 

 would be due to springtails alone. A note on springtails will 

 be found on p. 557 of this Journal for December, 1907. 



Mites on Gooseberries. — Specimens of mite-infested goose- 

 berry bushes were submitted during February, and were found 

 to be attacked by red spiders (Leaflet No. 41). These mites 

 are not like the black currant mite Eriophyes (Leaflet No. 1), 

 but are more like meal mites. Three genera of the red spider 

 family, or Tetranychidae, are mentioned in the Board's leaflet 

 as found on fruit plants, viz., Bryobia, Tenuipalpus, and 



