STORING WINTER THINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17294, 18 October 1919, Page 4 (Supplement)

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 done in the larval stage, which precedes the winged state. It is against the larvae, or tiny worms 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 larvas from activity, are, therefore, the ones the housekeeper must take to prevent damage by this "pest. The buffalo bug, or carpet beetle, is the most voracious textile pest we have. It is discovered in two stages— and larvae. The beetle is about a quarter of an inch long, shaped like the familiar lady-bug, with which it is often confused. The carpet beetle, however, is black, wi£h mottled irregular stripings of red and white, while the harmless lady-bug is redspotted, with a few tiny dots of black. In the-beetle form it does not eat, but should be destroyed to prevent its laying eggs. The larvae is slightly longT than the beetle, dark brown ai"' 'miry. This is the destructive period of .. life, arid it should be relentlessly hunted out and destroyed. The silver fish is less destructive than the other two pests, but it does damage enough to be undesirable. Anything which contains starch paste attracts it. It injures bookbindings, starched clothing, and stiff silks. It is a slim, slithery thing which runs like lightning, waving two long antennae in front and three spiny tails behind. For some reason it is more apt to come out of hiding before a rain. The silver, fish loves attics, or cellar J closets, stored with old magazines, and books and closets which gather the least dampness. The best method of prevention is to keep all attics, closets, and especially cellar storage room absolutely dry and well aired. Spraying book shelves, closets, drawers where starched clothes are kept, with pyrethrum powder, which may be obtained of any druggist, is a good method of extermination. In obstinate cases starched paste mixed with arsenic (a deadly poison) may be daubed on pieces of pasteboard and put where the pest has been seen, or is likely to be at work. Furs, woollen suits, dresses, underwear, and blankets all have to be carefully protected to come out intact at the beginning of the next season. The first precaution in putting things awav 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 he soiled than any part of a gown. If the moth can find a soiled spot it apparently chooses that spot above any other as the place to lay its eggs. All materials on which moths feed, woollens, fur, and feathers, should therefore first be thoroughly cleansed in preparation for storage. Remove spots either by washing or with benzine. Remember when lising benzine that it is dangerous. Do the work in a room where there is no open flame, or, better still, out of doors. After thorough cleaning air the materials to be stored for a generous length of time where ran and wind both have free plav. Air them for as long as the sunlight lasts in the day. beat lightlv, and store carefully.