Borax or insect powder should be scattered round sinks,
tubs, or other favorite haunts. Insect powder may be
burned on a hot stove or on a red-hot shovel. The smoke
and odor produced in this way are often a more effective
remedy than the dry powder. The room should be tightly
closed for five or six hours in order to get the full benefit
from the vapor. If this be done at night, more roaches are
likely to be affected. Equal parts of borax and chocolate
may be ground together. The mixture should be so well
made that each bit of chocolate should have its bit of borax.
The chocolate they like ; the borax they dislike, although
they soon learn to disregard its effects.
Plaster of Paris and common salt, in the proportion of
one pound of the plaster to five ounces of salt, may be
sprinkled round their haunts with good effect.
Powders interfere with their respiration by clogging
the spiracles. The insects are rendered sluggish, and may
HOUSEHOLD PESTS 343
then be collected and burned. This is an effective method
with the black beetle, who is so large, so plump, and so
wary that he is killed with difficulty. This species is
socially inclined and travels in companies. When con-
ditions grow unfavorable or the battle is too heavy
against them in one house, they often move en masse to
the next. When never a cockroach has been visible for
months, if a light be suddenly brought into the closed
kitchen after some hours of darkness, there may be heard
a ghostly scratching and scraping as a small army of
black roaches scuttles away to seek hiding places. For
such invasions the insect powder is best. Spread it gener-
ously over the floor at dusk and leave it there for hours
or until dawn. Before the room is light sweep up and burn
the powder and the stupefied roaches.
Sulphur and molasses mixed to a paste and spread on
paper or chips scattered round their haunts usually drives
them away quickly. Many of the insect exterminating
pastes owe their value to phosphorus.
Advantage may be taken of their liking for sweet liquids
by leaving such in shallow dishes, or with some means of
approach provided so that they may be entrapped. Traps
are effective in food closets when insect powder would be
objectionable.
Preventive Measures. — Light, air, absence of food, clean-
ness, absence of cracks.
Remedies. — Insect powder, borax, chocolate and borax,
spices and borax, sulphur and molasses, plaster of Paris
and salt.
Ants and Miscellaneous Pests
Apparatus. — Molasses, syrup, lard, kerosene, boiling water,
insect powder, small sponges, chips, strips of fur, small
344 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
dishes, spring-bottom can, atomizer or bulb syringe, dried
beans, peas, wliole spice or fruits sliowing the work of
insects, wooden boxes or receptacles gnawed into by insects.
Lesson V
Ants
Hymenoptera — Formicidae — Monomorium pharaonis, Monomo-
rium minutum, Tetramorium ccespitum. — The ants, to many en-
tomologists as well as to amateur observers, are the most
interesting of all insects. Yet to the housewife they can
be considered only as pests, except as she studies them
individually.
Page 168
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Borax or insect powder should be scattered round sinks, tubs, or other favorite haunts. Insect powder may be burned on a hot stove or on a red-hot shovel. The smoke and odor produced in this way are often a more effective remedy than the dry powder. The room should be tightly closed for five or six hours in order to get the full benefit from the vapor. If this be done at night, more roaches are likely to be affected. Equal parts of borax and chocolate may be ground together. The mixture should be so well made that each bit of chocolate should have its bit of borax. The chocolate they like ; the borax they dislike, although they soon learn to disregard its effects.
Plaster of Paris and common salt, in the proportion of one pound of the plaster to five ounces of salt, may be sprinkled round their haunts with good effect.
Powders interfere with their respiration by clogging the spiracles. The insects are rendered sluggish, and may
then be collected and burned. This is an effective method with the black beetle, who is so large, so plump, and so wary that he is killed with difficulty. This species is socially inclined and travels in companies. When conditions grow unfavorable or the battle is too heavy against them in one house, they often move en masse to the next. When never a cockroach has been visible for months, if a light be suddenly brought into the closed kitchen after some hours of darkness, there may be heard a ghostly scratching and scraping as a small army of black roaches scuttles away to seek hiding places. For such invasions the insect powder is best. Spread it generously over the floor at dusk and leave it there for hours or until dawn. Before the room is light sweep up and burn the powder and the stupefied roaches.
Sulphur and molasses mixed to a paste and spread on paper or chips scattered round their haunts usually drives them away quickly. Many of the insect exterminating pastes owe their value to phosphorus.
Advantage may be taken of their liking for sweet liquids by leaving such in shallow dishes, or with some means of approach provided so that they may be entrapped. Traps are effective in food closets when insect powder would be objectionable.
Preventive Measures. — Light, air, absence of food, cleanness, absence of cracks.
Remedies. — Insect powder, borax, chocolate and borax, spices and borax, sulphur and molasses, plaster of Paris and salt.
Ants and Miscellaneous Pests
Apparatus. — Molasses, syrup, lard, kerosene, boiling water, insect powder, small sponges, chips, strips of fur, small
dishes, spring-bottom can, atomizer or bulb syringe, dried beans, peas, whole spice or fruits showing the work of insects, wooden boxes or receptacles gnawed into by insects.
Lesson V Ants
Hymenoptera — Formicidae — Monomorium pharaonis, Monomorium minutum, Tetramorium ccespitum. — The ants, to many entomologists as well as to amateur observers, are the most interesting of all insects. Yet to the housewife they can be considered only as pests, except as she studies them individually.