HOUSEHOLD PESTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23703, 10 January 1939, Page 14

HOUSEHOLD PESTS

METHODS OF EXTERMINATION The hot weather brings with it its own problem of household pests, and some of the following methods may be found useful in combating the ravages of these small nuisances. Moths.—To keep moths out of cupboards, paint all cracks, crevices, and joints in the wood with spirits of turpentine. Do this every three months. To keep them away from clothes, sprinkle pieces of cottonwool with oil of cinnamon and place among the clothes,

To keep moths away from carpets make a strong solution of alum dissolved in hot water, and wet the edges of carpets with this. Moths will not go near carpets that have had common salt sprinkled freely underneath them. Silverflsh. —Scatter coarse salt about wardrobes, cupboards, etc., and they will not come near it. Epsom salts is also excellent. Sprinkle it liberally underneath carpets, on books, in drawers, in all corners and crevices wherever they are likely to congregate. Place camphor in drawers, cupboards, etc. Equal quantities of white pepper and powdered alum is good. Spraying with turpentine is also_ effective Woodworms. Furniture infested with woodworms should be painted with paraffin, seeing that it reaches every crevice. Flies. —A room may be cleared of flies by any of the following methods: Half-teaspoonful black pepper, 1 teaspoonful each of brown sugar and cream. Mix well together and place on a plate in the room where flies are troublesome. They will soon disappear. Pour about 20 drops of carbolic acid on a hot shovel and allow it to evaporate. A few drops of oil of turpentine sprinkled on a piece of cottonwool and placed on the table will keep flies away from food. Mosquitoes.—Mosquitoes will not bite skin that has been smeared with cold cream.

To clear a room of mosquitoes, hold a piece of camphor about the size of a walnut over a flame until it is consumed.

Mice.—Mice will not frequent a cupboard where cayenne or fresh sprigs of mint are strewn.