HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 
5 
and painstaking housekeeper, therefore, who aims at cleanliness in pantry 
and kitchen, has the advantage over one of more easy-going habits. 
Powdered borax in some form appears to be the chief agent to be used 
against them, and probably forms the base of many of the well advertised 
and rather high priced roach powders. 
A private house badly infested, where the housekeeper followed the 
advice of this Division, was completely freed of the pest by a faithful and 
continuous use of powdered borax. This was scattered along the mop-board 
in the kitchen, about cracks and crevices wherever they occurred, in kitchen 
drawers, about the water pipes, kitchen sink, etc., every evening after the 
day’s work was finished, and continued for about a week. 
F. L. W. 
CLOTHES MOTHS. 
To keep furs, woolens, feathers and skins safe is a matter of eternal vigi- 
lance. Articles in frequent use, and rooms frequently swept and aired, 
and where plenty of sunshine has free access are shunned by the clothes 
moth. Clothing and furs should be hung out in the bright sun light at 
least once a month for several hours. 
A method now much adopted is 
to enclose woolens and furs in large 
paper bags, which are made for the 
purpose. These bags may be made 
of either ordinary heavy paper or 
tarred paper, and can be purchased 
in many sizes. They seal up per- 
fectly tight, and if no moths, eggs 
or larva are present on the material 
when placed in the bag, it will re- 
main perfectly safe all summer. Bags made of heavy unbleached cotton 
cloth, or muslin, are also good. These can be sewed up on the machine and 
will keep out all moths. 
Chests or boxes lined with tarred building paper, or with naphthaline 
or camphor used as a repellent make good storage places. The naphthaline 
and camphor are not, however, destructive to the moth in any of its stages, 
and the use of carbon bi-sulphide is better. Every four weeks a shallow 
saucer full of the liquid should be placed on top of the goods in the chest 
and the cover closed. The liquid volatilizes very rapidly and the gas sinks 
downward through the woolens arn^ furs, destroying whatever insects are 
present. Remember that this gas is explosive when mixed with certain 
proportions of the atmosphere, so no lights, cigars or other burning material 
should be brought near. Also remember that the chest should be very tight. 
The most modern method of protecting goods from moth attacks is the 
use of cold storage. A temperature of 40 degrees F. will keep the moths 
from working; but a lower temperature is better. 
C. W. H. 
