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Show q i liltr 1 i - .V-i -.fir.-. J ' -iS-,.! iMlliniill m ...i,,,,., Can't study without a little nibble? Food crumbs feed silverfish who in turn eat the glue binding of books. The result- pages fall out of the books as one settles down to study after the meal. Munching lunch? Silverfish feast on library books The student who munches his lunch in the Marriott Library has a greatful friend-the silverfish. Oh, you say 'you didn't know you have a new j friend? Actually, he isn't new, for he's a long-time i inhabitant of libraries, and a very unwelcomed J inhabitant at that. ; The Marriott Library, for some time, has been combating the infestation of silverfish, small greyish-white insects which receive their initial invitation to the library in the form of cookie crumbs, banana skins, and bread crusts. Once the i silverfish are in the library, they turn to eating the paste in book bindings when their favorite foods- . sugars and starches- are scarce. Why is this a problem? Well, you open a book which has been visited by silverfish and the pages t fall out onto the floor. And according to Dr. Kenneth Slack, associate director of the Library, the infestation last year was one of the most serious he had ever seen in any library. Last spring the entire library was treated to a special fumigation which was designed to kill all the insects present in the library. The spraying project was also intended to have a 30-day residual poisoning affect on any silverfish that might hatch after the initial spraying. Ideally, the problem has been solved and the silverfish are gone. If students will observe the "No Eating" signs in the library and eat their meals in the cafeteria, the silverfish will become discouraged 1 and likewise seek their meals elsewhere. 1 |
