UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 1051 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 
L. O. HOWARD, Chief 
And the Bureau of Plant Industry 
WILLIAM A. TAYLOR, Chief 
afsr^j-u 
Washington, D. C. 
April 13, 1922 
RED CEDAR CHESTS AS PROTECTORS AGAINST 
MOTH DAMAGE. 
By E. A. Back, Entomologist in Charge of Stored Product Insect Investigations, 
Bureau of Entomology, and Frank Rabak, Chemical Biologist, Drug, 
Poisonous, and Oil Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introductory 1 
Source, distribution, and description 
of red cedar 2 
Uses of red cedar 2 
Aroma of red cedar 4 
Cedar chest experiments 4 
Effect upon adult moths 4 
Effect upon eggs 5 
Page. 
Cedar chest experiments — Continued. 
Effect upon larvae 7 
Cedar chests do not kill one- 
half to full-grown larvse 8 
Cedar chests kill young larva?- 9 
Conclusions 11 
Literature cited 14 
INTRODUCTORY. 
Chests made of red cedar have the reputation of protecting cloth- 
ing stored in them from the ravages of clothes moths. There has 
been, however, much difference of opinion as to whether the supposed 
protection comes from the tightness of the chests which excludes 
moths, or from an inherent quality of the wood that actually kills 
moths accidentally placed in them with fabrics and furs. Consider- 
ing the centuries-old belief, entertained among so many peoples, 
that this odoriferous cedar affords protection against moth attack, 
surprisingly little has been clone to determine whether or not chests 
made of this wood are efficacious. Working with the southern or 
webbing clothes moth, Tineola ■' biselliella Hummel (PL II, A), the 
writers undertook a comprehensive study of the effect of red cedar 
chests upon adults, eggs, and larvae to ascertain whether or not chests 
made of red cedar could be considered as adequate protection of 
clothing against these insects. 
80389°— 22 
