The mother moth is instinctively wise. She not only
chooses the best materials for food, but also knows that
350 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
folds, gathers, and creases collect and hold dust, absorb
vapors from cooking, from fires and lights, and that such
places are least likely to be thoroughly and often cleaned.
Such places are the chosen nurseries — the gathers in
woollen dress-skirts ; the collars and folds and under-arm
spaces of coats and waists; the seams and creases in
trousers, where mingled dust, perspiration, and grease stock
the larder.
The eggs of all species are nearly or quite invisible to the
naked eye, and are usually laid directly upon the material
which will serve as food, but sometimes in crevices and
cracks of trunks, boxes, floors, or in empty nail-holes where
the tiny larvae may readily gain access to the food materials.
The larva, called worm rather than caterpillar, is whitish
in color with a dark head. As soon as hatched, the common
species builds for itself a cylindrical jacket or case out of
the materials upon which it finds itself. This is its first
work. The outside of the jacket is therefore the same in
color as the food material, but the inside is lined with soft,
whitish silk. The lava thus eats paths along the cloth, or
in some cases burrows directly through the goods, burying
itself in the tunnels of fuzzy pile. They are sometimes
found outside of their cases, although, usually, only the
brownish head and next segment of the body are visible.
As the body grows it requires a larger jacket or case, and
the larva cuts a slit and inserts a gusset or gore to increase
the diameter, besides increasing the length. If different
colored cloths furnish the food during the iarval stage, the
jacket may become a Joseph's coat of many colors. When
rearing the larvae for examination, this is a pleasing experi-
ment to try.
In dealing with moths as with all harmful or disagreeable
pests, " Prevention is better than cure."
It is easier to prevent the entrance of the parent than to
HOUSEHOLD PESTS 351
kill the eggs, or the larvse, or to remedy the ravages. The
preventive measures include : early screening of windows
and doors, for the moths usually deposit their eggs in April
or May (some species raise two broods, the latter one in
August or September) ; plenty of sunlight and fresh air
throughout the house; light closets, and these often aired
and kept free from dust and fluff ; absence of heavy carpets
which cover the entire floor and are fastened close to the
wall, as these gather dust, are hard to keep clean, and
will not be removed and aired as often as is desirable;
as few articles or stuffs as possible that are food for these
forms. The too many pieces with unused or unusable gar-
ments, which often fill trimks and drawers would better be
destroyed, given away, or used, than stored, thus inviting
moths and final waste.
Page 172
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
The mother moth is instinctively wise. She not only chooses the best materials for food, but also knows that
folds, gathers, and creases collect and hold dust, absorb vapors from cooking, from fires and lights, and that such places are least likely to be thoroughly and often cleaned. Such places are the chosen nurseries — the gathers in woollen dress-skirts ; the collars and folds and under-arm spaces of coats and waists; the seams and creases in trousers, where mingled dust, perspiration, and grease stock the larder.
The eggs of all species are nearly or quite invisible to the naked eye, and are usually laid directly upon the material which will serve as food, but sometimes in crevices and cracks of trunks, boxes, floors, or in empty nail-holes where the tiny larvae may readily gain access to the food materials.
The larva, called worm rather than caterpillar, is whitish in color with a dark head. As soon as hatched, the common species builds for itself a cylindrical jacket or case out of the materials upon which it finds itself. This is its first work. The outside of the jacket is therefore the same in color as the food material, but the inside is lined with soft, whitish silk. The lava thus eats paths along the cloth, or in some cases burrows directly through the goods, burying itself in the tunnels of fuzzy pile. They are sometimes found outside of their cases, although, usually, only the brownish head and next segment of the body are visible.
As the body grows it requires a larger jacket or case, and the larva cuts a slit and inserts a gusset or gore to increase the diameter, besides increasing the length. If different colored cloths furnish the food during the iarval stage, the jacket may become a Joseph's coat of many colors. When rearing the larvae for examination, this is a pleasing experiment to try.
In dealing with moths as with all harmful or disagreeable pests, " Prevention is better than cure."
It is easier to prevent the entrance of the parent than to
kill the eggs, or the larvse, or to remedy the ravages. The preventive measures include : early screening of windows and doors, for the moths usually deposit their eggs in April or May (some species raise two broods, the latter one in August or September) ; plenty of sunlight and fresh air throughout the house; light closets, and these often aired and kept free from dust and fluff ; absence of heavy carpets which cover the entire floor and are fastened close to the wall, as these gather dust, are hard to keep clean, and will not be removed and aired as often as is desirable; as few articles or stuffs as possible that are food for these forms. The too many pieces with unused or unusable garments, which often fill trimks and drawers would better be destroyed, given away, or used, than stored, thus inviting moths and final waste.