SWARM OF FLEAS.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18849, 20 January 1933, Page 10

SWARM OF FLEAS.

In a late edition of the Hawera Star there appeared a paragraph relating to an unenviable experience a storeman had at Hawera through being attacked by a swarm of lleas 'whilst making lip an order ol' lucerne seed. A nature student who read Hie paragraph has expressed Hie opinion that Hie lleas were lying dormant in the grub stage of their existence and 'the vibration caused by the storeman was Hie cause of their sudden emergence from the chrysalis. “The eggs arc generally laid on the floors of houses or oilier buildings,” he said. “A Ilea grub, like a chicken, breaks its shell by a special tooth and emerges as a very perfect insccl, con-

structed on a dilleren! plan trom that ! of Hie grill) it left behind in its earlier ! life. Should a person enter tiic room j where the lleas are concealed in their : egg sac the sudden vibration will cause j the insects to throw off Hie covering of Hie chrysalis and the Ilea hounds ; out in a moment. Professor .1. A. ! Thomson. Hie well known Scottish I naturalist, stales that this surprising ! response to vibration a aunts for the sudden appearance of hosts of lleas i hi an empty house when it is firing in- ! speided. In Kligiand Hie Hev. .1. G. 1 Wood, a naturalist of many years ago. I related an experience lie had when | placed in a large room al the top of a I ponse when he dislocated his ankle. The room had hern union.inled for a ! long lime, Nobody had entered it for | seven years. No sooner was the candle ut at night 111 in (leas atlackod s-stonisblng numbers.'’