The White Pine Borer . TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 9

The White Pine Borer . TO THE EDITOR.

Sic, — The "borer" matter is of considerable importance. Xo one with the habit of observation can have failed to notice that great damage is being done in Dunedin and elsewhere by some small wood-eating animal, presumably the grub or larva of a beetle. There seems, however, to be no unanimity <i-s to what the creature is, and fchs supposition that the havoc is wrought solely by a native New ZealaiJid species is by no means we-H supported. That there is a species of "borer' which. «o to say. belongs ro the white pine I am far from doubting. It is. of course, well known that almost every tree has known infestations of this kind. That a bush or forest-living species should take to domesticating itself in the dwellings of man is all in the way of Nature. We begin by invading tbe insoet's domain, trenching upon its ''means of subsistence,*' and it retaliates l;y becoming a lodger and boarder in our dwellings. A familiar instance of thh co'nmon procedure is illustrated by our clothes moth.-. There wore "clothes" moths ages before there ware clothes, and ong-mallj" these in*ects laid their eggs upon woolly and furry animals, arid the larvae fed thereon till they in turn became moths, and so on. This colony h too "recent" for much of this kind of thing to have eventuated as yet, although several of your correspondents are probably quite right in indicating the " white pine borer " as the cause of a great deal of the mischief. From vihac I have seen myself I would, however, consider that "A. M. B." is right in his inference that the insect is an importer! one — " a small greyish-brown beetle, well known at Home and elsewhere as the " death-watch." from the ticking sound made by it in its nocturnal ramblings over the woodwork of bed and living rooms. It is thoroughly acolimatUed ioi Dunedin, as I can testify, having observed it in many different parts of the city. The adult insect is. presumably, incapable of doing damage, but the small grub born from its egg ha-s a pair of really effective jaws, or mandibles, from the attacks of which very few timbers are capable of resistance. These creatures commonly form large colonies, and their operations, being largely out of sight, remain also out of mind until the damage they do becomes exton-sivc. This seems to be what has been taking place in Dunedin. In one house wherein I lived for some years here they were an established nuisance, the debris from their colonies in the red pine lining of the Toof forming mini a- \ ture sawdust heaps for weeks on end. As soon as these were cleared away they were at once in evidence again in the course of an hour or two. The " death-watch " borer may have preferences of its own, but my idea is that it is omnivorous. Some of the high-class northern woods, stich as the pitch pine, may baffle it by virtue of its richly resinous quality, but it eats all the ordinary pines, etc., mahogany, and kauri, as well as red and white pine. In a largo establishment where I was employed some years since in Edinburgh, my attention was called to some boards- used for flattening damped paper. These bo-irds were faced on one side with zinc, and were in constant use by the employees of the firm. When I saw them there were literally thousands — tens of thousands I might say without exaggeration — of " death-watoh " beetles emerging from every part of the surfaces. All around they were in myriads. By my advice the boards, which were about a yard square each and l£in thick, were condemned to instant destruction in the furnace. The zinc was stripped off to bp saved, and thou-sands of beetles were found Dressed to death against the metaL They had emerged towards the wrong side, found an impassable barrier, and been squeezed to death by the crush of those behind. In Dunedin I have seen red pine furniture infested by this beetle carefully done up with coloured putty, and sent down to be sold at the auction rooms ; and known it to fetch pretty good bids, too ! As to a. remedy, benzine well rubbed in is recommended, but that will hardly prove practical in application to the general woodwork of houses. I agree with mv friend Mr J. M'Gill that infested wood should be promptly taken out, and when out it should be burnt without a moment's delay. But were that done thoroughly, how much of wooden Dunedin would be left?— l am, etc., Dixohnis.

The Impehiai. Brass Speay Pump: With Stream and Fine Spray Nozzle. — Made by American noted manufacturers. Are obtainable from Nnoco ajto Blaib, Dunedin. Fruitexowexa and Oxckardistf ihould use them.