STORING WINTER THINGS

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1209, 26 November 1919, Page 2

STORING WINTER THINGS

The clothes moth is too familiar to the housewife to need description. In its winged state it is a, putty-coloured tiny woolly-winged thing, most often, noticed by lamplight fluttering jerkily' about the room. In this .state it has wrought its mischief, and its destruction means only prevention of trouble from eggs which it may lay. The actual eating of fabric is dono in the larvae j stage, which precedes the winged stale. I It is against tho larvae, or tiny worm j in the cloth, that our real effort needs { to be directed. Any measures which prevent materials from becoming a repository for eggs, or which stop the larvae from activity, are, therefore, the ones the housekeeper must take to J prevent damage by this pest. The buffalo bug, or carpet beetle, is { the most voracious textile pest we have, j It is discovered in two stages—beetle j and larvae. The beetle is about a j j quarter of an inch long, shaped like J ; th e familiar lady-bug, with which it is ■ often confused. The carpet, beetle,; ! however, is black, with mottled irregu- j j lar stripiugs of red and. white, while ! : the harmless lady-bug is red-spotted, j | with a few tiny dots of black. In the I | beetle form it does not eat, but should jbo destroyed to prevent its . laying j eggs. The larvae is slightly longer j | than the beetle, dark brown and hairy, j I This is the destructive period of its | i life, and it should bo re-leutlessly hunt- j j ed out and destroyed. j • Tho silver fish is less destructive I I than the other tw» pests, but it does j damugo enough to bo -undesirable. i Anything which contains starch paste | ; attracts it. It injures book-bindings, i starched clothing, and stiff silk. It is a slim, slithery thing which runs ; lik<j lightning, waving two long anten- ; line in front and three spiny tails behind. For some reason it is moro apt : to come out of hiding before a rain. . The silver fish loves attics, or cellur closets, stored with old magazines, and books and closets which gather the j least, dampness. The best method oE prevention is to . keep all attics, closets, and especially cellar storage room absolutely dry and . well aired. Spraying book shelves, closets, drawers whore starched clothes tare kept, with pyre thrum powder, which may be obtained of any druggist, is a good method of extermination. ■ In obstinate eases starched paste mixed with arsoiuc (a deadly poison) may be daubed on pieces of pasteboard, and : put where tho pest has been aeon, or is likely to be at work. Furs,, woollen suits, dresses, underwear, and blankets till have to be carofully protected to come out intact at tho beginning of the next season. The lirst precaution in" putting things away is absolute cleanliness. Moths most readily attack soiled goods. The reason that the front breadth of a dress is the place where moths delight to riddle with holes is that this section is more liable to be Soiled than any part of a gown. If the moth can , find a soiled spot it apparently chooses that spot above any other as "tho place to lay its eggs. All materials on which moths feed,. woollens, fur, and feathers, 'should" | therefore first bo thoroughly cleansed in preparation for storages' Remove/ spots cither by washing or with bon- ; zine. Remember when using benzine that 'it is dangerous. Do the work in "a I room whore there is no open flame, or, ; better still, out of doors. i After thorough cleaning air the) materials to be stored for a generous' i length of time where sun and wind ! both have free play. Air them for ; as long as the sunlight lasts in tho day, i beat lightly, and store carefully.