April, ’24] 
SULLIVAN: CALCIUM CYANIDE FOR FLEAS 
233 
7:30 and no live fleas could be found. The dog was taken to the country 
and the owner had no more trouble. 
The space under the porch of a dwelling house in Columbia, Mo. 
became infested with fleas from a dog which bedded there. The owner 
spent a few minutes under this porch one day examining some pipes 
and afterwards killed twenty-two fleas on his clothing. The dimensions 
of the space under the porch was ninety square feet. At 4:15 P. M. 
August 1, 1923 a little less than two pounds of 50% calcium cyanide 
dust was uniformly scattered. Three days later no fleas could be 
noticed under the porch but upon examining a quantity of the debris 
in the laboratory one live flea was found. 
The barns, sheds and hog houses on a farm near Columbia, Mo. 
became very heavily infested with the human flea (Pulex irritans L.) 
The fleas were so bad that the owner had trouble keeping hired help. 
Calcium cyanide flakes were scattered by hand at the rate of four 
ounces to 100 sq. ft. on newspapers which had been spread down in the 
different buildings. 'Phe flakes were put down at 7:30 P. M. July 24, 
1923. The newspapers were used so that the residue could be easily 
cleared away as poultry and hogs had the run of most of the buildings. 
Wherever possible the buildings were closed but some of the sheds 
were open on one side. There was no breeze. Conditions were as 
nearly ideal as possible. The next morning the premises were carefully 
examined and no living fleas were found except in the tool shed. In 
this building a few had survived. The application was repeated in 
this building using eight ounces to 100 cu. ft. Not a single living flea 
could be found one hour later. 
Calcium cyanide used at the rate of eight ounces to 100 sq. ft. can be 
depended upon to give practically a 100% kill. In a building which 
can be closed, four ounces to 100 sq. ft. will give the same results. 
Some interesting results were" also obtained in using calcium cyanide 
for the control of blister beetles on garden and truck crops. Tests 
were made with the 50% dust on the striped blister beetle (Epicauta 
vittata Fab.). This blister beetle made a sudden attack on a small 
garden of about 255 feet square. They were feeding heavily upon 
beets, and potatoes. A knapsack duster was used and the application 
was made at about 4:00 P. M. on July 27, 1923. About two pounds 
of dust was used. Most of the beetles were killed almost instantly. 
Some, the gas seemed to paralize. First, the rear pair of legs became 
useless. The beetles would try to pull themselves along with the first 
two pair when shortly the second pair would cease to function. Then 
