The adult is furnished with a fleshy underiip or beak, which holds four hard and sharp filaments called setae. These puncture the skin and pierce the flesh by a sawlike movement while passing over each other. The beak is pressed closely to the wound, and through it the blood is drawn. It is easy to see how these mouth parts might carry contagion from man to man, or from tainted flesh to man. Some persons are unaffected by the bite of this insect, not feeling the puncture nor knowing any swelling or irritation. Others feel the action of the setae, and to some the bite is decidedly poisonous. The fluids secreted in the mouth enter the wound, and add their irritating action to that occasioned by the setae. Fortunate the city dweller who has never seen this pest in his house ; but with persistent, intelligent watchfulness even so wary and secretive a foe may be outwitted. Prevention should begin by brushing and shaking the clothes, when one has been in suspicious places. Articles of furniture should be carefully inspected, whether new or second-hand, especially the latter, for auction rooms and similar places are, from the decidedly cosmopolitan char- acter of their possessions, very apt to be infested. 336 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE Any house or tenement should be carefully inspected be- fore occupation. Look for the pests in cracks, in torn or loose wall-papers, and along picture mouldings. If there are signs of their former presence in the specks left from their excrement or mouth secretions, watch incessantly for their reappearance. Never let the enemy catch the housewife off her guard, for a day's advantage may mean the infesta- tion of an entire room or house. Cleanness everywhere, freedom from dust and fluff — this alone means freedom from insect pests. If prevention prove unsuccessful and the enemy be found, declare a daily warfare until it is vanquished, and then — ■ watch ! All eggs must be destroyed before any permanent success is gained. Bedsteads furnish the favorite breeding places as well as feeding places by night, and hiding places by day. They are the chief battle-ground. An occasional coat of thin varnish over all the woodwork under the mattress helps to drive away adults and to kill eggs. Boiling water will kill both adults and eggs if, it touches them. This may be used wherever it will not injure the finished furniture or spoil fabrics. Slats to bedsteads may have the ends immersed in boiling water. Kerosene and naphtha are death to both forms. Kerosene is the safer to use in large quantities because of the extreme danger of fire with the naphtha. Infested upholstery or bedding may be saturated with naphtha, if left out-of-doors or not exposed to any flame for days. Kerosene has a more lasting odor, for it evaporates more slowly and will also leave a stain, if dust settles in it while the oil is evaporat- ing. This makes its use more objectionable for fabrics. Corrosive sublimate is effectual, but it is a deadly poison when taken internally. A method which has been successful in many cases is the HOUSEHOLD PESTS 337 persistent use of ice-water. This no doubt would prevent the development of the eggs, and its faithful use tends to the cleanness which alone is effective prevention.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The adult is furnished with a fleshy underiip or beak, which holds four hard and sharp filaments called setae. These puncture the skin and pierce the flesh by a sawlike movement while passing over each other. The beak is pressed closely to the wound, and through it the blood is drawn. It is easy to see how these mouth parts might carry contagion from man to man, or from tainted flesh to man. Some persons are unaffected by the bite of this insect, not feeling the puncture nor knowing any swelling or irritation. Others feel the action of the setae, and to some the bite is decidedly poisonous. The fluids secreted in the mouth enter the wound, and add their irritating action to that occasioned by the setae. Fortunate the city dweller who has never seen this pest in his house ; but with persistent, intelligent watchfulness even so wary and secretive a foe may be outwitted. Prevention should begin by brushing and shaking the clothes, when one has been in suspicious places. Articles of furniture should be carefully inspected, whether new or second-hand, especially the latter, for auction rooms and similar places are, from the decidedly cosmopolitan character of their possessions, very apt to be infested. Any house or tenement should be carefully inspected before occupation. Look for the pests in cracks, in torn or loose wall-papers, and along picture mouldings. If there are signs of their former presence in the specks left from their excrement or mouth secretions, watch incessantly for their reappearance. Never let the enemy catch the housewife off her guard, for a day's advantage may mean the infestation of an entire room or house. Cleanness everywhere, freedom from dust and fluff — this alone means freedom from insect pests. If prevention prove unsuccessful and the enemy be found, declare a daily warfare until it is vanquished, and then — ■ watch ! All eggs must be destroyed before any permanent success is gained. Bedsteads furnish the favorite breeding places as well as feeding places by night, and hiding places by day. They are the chief battle-ground. An occasional coat of thin varnish over all the woodwork under the mattress helps to drive away adults and to kill eggs. Boiling water will kill both adults and eggs if, it touches them. This may be used wherever it will not injure the finished furniture or spoil fabrics. Slats to bedsteads may have the ends immersed in boiling water. Kerosene and naphtha are death to both forms. Kerosene is the safer to use in large quantities because of the extreme danger of fire with the naphtha. Infested upholstery or bedding may be saturated with naphtha, if left out-of-doors or not exposed to any flame for days. Kerosene has a more lasting odor, for it evaporates more slowly and will also leave a stain, if dust settles in it while the oil is evaporating. This makes its use more objectionable for fabrics. Corrosive sublimate is effectual, but it is a deadly poison when taken internally. A method which has been successful in many cases is the persistent use of ice-water. This no doubt would prevent the development of the eggs, and its faithful use tends to the cleanness which alone is effective prevention.

Handbook of domestic science and household arts for use in elementary schools