A glossary of reference on subjects connected with the Far East / by Herbert A. Giles.
- Herbert Giles
- Date:
- 1886
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A glossary of reference on subjects connected with the Far East / by Herbert A. Giles. Source: Wellcome Collection.
283/302 page 271
![WHITE ANTS : !^. Tlie popular, but incorrect, name * for a genus of insect distinct from tbe ant, though the two are somewhat similar in their habits. Attracted by lights, they fly into houses after nightfall, and shed their wings all over the place. By putting a plate of water near the lamp, they may be caught in large numbers, The chief mischief they do is, in the larva stage, by eating up all the wood that falls in their way, getting into houses and gradually consuming the largest beams and rafters until at length the building falls with a crash. They will not, however, touch camphor wood; neither do they like the light of day ; but all clothes’ boxes, pianos, etc., should be raised on bricks covered with lime to prevent them crawling up, and should be carefully examined from time to time. An American flag-staff, the pride of an Oregon forest, was soon after its erection honeycombed and prostrated ** by that omnivorous destroyer. It is commonly believed that wherever a poison is found growing, an antidotal plant will be found not far off. This is paralleled hy “ noxious insects—the white ant for example has an enemy in a small black ant to which it affords support. A singular battle was observed the other day, between two columns of these insects, if that can be called a battle where all the injury that was inflicted was suffered by one side. The black ants seized and carried off the white ones, if not without remonstrance on the part of the latter, at any rate without resistance. Tobacco is ‘Wirulent poison to the white ant. A colony lately in- vaded a box of cheroots, which on being opened showed * [It is a curious fact that the Chinese name for this insect is also white ant.']](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30093120_0283.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
