SHIPS AND THEIR PESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 288, 3 December 1907, Page 2

SHIPS AND THEIR PESTS.

EXIT THE yOCIvROACII. Of the seven plagues of Egypt, mari- ! ners with one accord aver that cockroaches were the worst. Every boat j that sails the seas is more or leas subj ject to their pestiferous presence. In fact, some vessels, are so notorious for their never-ending hordes of cockroaches I that people simply afraid to travel upon them. Ihe prevalence of the pest on one of ! the largest and best known coasting i steamers of an Auckland shipping company led to the application vi every conceivable preventative or remedy— without avail. The chief steward of ; the boat sought the advice ol" Dr. Purdy, ! District lleuitii UUicer, and .several cx- ; yeriments were tried; but the nuisance I was unabated. Dr. Purdy's own experi--1 ences un the ■'haunted" vessel were such, i however, that he took a ready interest in the matter, and wery effort was made to cope wiLii the exigencies of the case. I Taranaki crude, petroleum was tried, I but the result wa.s not satisfactory. I Kerosene (the efficacy of which the Government Health Officer is known to bo a linn believer in) was next used, and with oqifitl non-success, carbolic acid. Keating's powder, and boric acid were employed. In desperation an effort was made to burn the cockroaches out with benzine, but their stronghold remained impregnable. The, oflicers' quarters we.re infested with them, and even the. food, ■was frequently "a la fiieasse cockroach." All experiments having failed, the purser in desperation secured a. preparation at Tauranga of local make, and once ■ again endeavoured to rout the enemy. I The success was instantaneous. Within . a week the. boat, which in the words of the Health Officer was previously simply ' over-run with cockroaches, wa.s cleared of the pest. Not, even a trace of their previous existence can now l>e. found, and ! their extermination is complete. I The vnlue of this discovery, in the [ opinion of Dr. Purdy. is of the greatest importance, ihe prevalence of (he cockroach pest on coastal and ocean-bound steamers is such that an) efficacious means of dealing with the vermin is to be regarded in the light of a remarkable j discovery, and in the event of a general I test proving satisfactory. Dr. Purdy says Tauranga will gain a notoriety it never ; enjoyed before.