INSECT PESTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1715, 21 November 1887, Page 3

INSECT PESTS.

From all parts of the country (says the " Home News "of September 2) complaints are rife of a plague. of insects, the result of the abnormally dry summer. In this respect the usually favored climate of FnglaDd somewhat resembles at present that of the Australian Colonies, where not only at particular Boasonß, but throughout the year, crawling or winged pests create annoyance. Our kinsfolk, however, accustomed as they are to the inevitable presence, tn at these things m a philosophic manoer, without airing their grievances before tb.9 world by pieous appeals to the local papers, aa is tho custom among Englishmen Tha latest invasion of the country after the Hessian fly is represented by an influx of earwigs, which m come places are rapidly increasing m numbeif, and swarm through the houses at the clos9 of day. Ants are also a greater trouble than usual, and the ordinary house and blowflies, which m the colonies are unmitigated nuisances, are m some counties causing much inconvenience to householders by spoiling their meat and drink. Another pest — the mosquito — is now acclimatised m our midst, co that another dry summer may bring on us plagues hitherto only known to foreign countries. With regard to blowflies, it may interest Australians to learn that, recording to a calculation made by Linnceus, a couple of those prolific and hateful insects, if permitted to multiply, couid carry off a horße m Jess than a summer, and m less than five years would cover the earth with their progeny.