THE BORER.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16822, 30 May 1919, Page 9

THE BORER.

WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO _ WITH IT. ■'i'tv Y " ' '..''"' -. ' 'I: :'-'■- BioWil' S Cocka *?e, ;' Gavemmeiit' on +h \, 1 anQ - Metals ?L» £ .borer'. in the ourrenD ment If \ & ■ J^ mn& }, oi Department of Agriculture." The nest is known a s> Anobium domestieum,'. and it is passionately fond of-.'white pine and kaun but will also attack other woods. Mr Cockayne suggests how it may be .dealt with in both houses and 4 " r ™!»'e- He advises that in th 0 case of buildings the replacement of floor-: ings and linings with red pine or black P l "® (m?t«0 can be done at times. When mtested material is.removed it is best done in late autumn to early spring, and th<? timber removed should be destroyed as soon as possible. The joists etc., should be sprayed with a solution of arsenate of lead, using it at the rate of lib to 28 gallons cf water. In houses where only one or two boards are .effected, I always recommend the removal of the affected timber rather than to attempt any direct control. If, however* the '■■ costof doing so is prohibitive. tbf> affected wood should be sprayed in November,. Decembsr and January, three times with a mixture of benzine and: creosote, using five parts of benzine to one of creosote., or a mixture of benzine and naptbalene, dissolving about the equivalent' of two moth balls of napthalene to: every half-pint of benzine. Spraying lyith arsenical compounds is often recommended, but thr> habit of the beetle laying its eggs in old tunnels often makes this method unsatisfactory. The adult beetles appear to feed very '.little,, and any poisonous spray must kill the larvae emerging from the, eggs .rather, tlian the mature insect. . . "So far as 'furniture is concerned, a word of warning against the purchase of second-hand , furniture is necessary. In many cases' siicn furnitui'3 will be the means of introducing borer. Care-"should 'always 'He taken to see that any such furniture is sou-ad before being introduced into a house. Borer in chairs, tables, pianos, and other ' articles of furniture should be systematically treated. Benzine and •'creosote.-squirted into each hole with a small pinrtte, and then the entrance stopped with a'pellet of soap, will be found the best treatment, to adopt. Where the wood is extremely badly nff eeted it will be best to •' get rid of tbe firtk-le rather than try to control the borer. A very good method of with the pest is to keep a sharp look-out for the appearance <-f nuy dust or -fvass bein.7' ejected from the holes. Whenever this -occurs the Inrvne ."ore very easily reached with ;m pnnlicition .-n.f' ■benzine, and tr-atnvuu dii-r.'ly" such dust appears is often even when only once ap--.lied".'"'.'.,,'■.'•■ ' -- ' "■'-'