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74
SHELLFISH.
During the year, Leigh Creek has been regularly inspected, but at no time
have any cockles been observed lying in the creek.
WEEVILS.
On the 15th August, I received a complaint from a baker, who had a
business in the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar. He complained of an
"awful nuisance" on every evening at six o'clock, from a awarm of little
flies which covered the windows of his premises, worked their way through
into every crevice of the bread and every bag of flour, which were rendered
unsaleable.
On investigation the complaint was found to be well founded, and apparently
the insects came from some granaries situated within one of the docks where
there was a quantity of old grain which had been found to be infested with
weevils.
This was not a matter which could be dealt with as a nuisance under the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, but the attention of the owner was called
to the condition of the grain, and the process of turning it over was discontinued.
It was apparently the process of turning over, combined with hot
weather at that time, which caused the insects to swarm into the
neighbourhood.
These insects are extremely destructive to stored grain—wheat, barley, oats,
and maize being attacked by one variety, and rice by another.
The female lays one egg in the substance of a grain of corn—after being
hatched the grub feeds on the contents of the grain, and when full grown
enters the pupa state and remains in the eaten out grain. It finally becomes
the insect, and it is said that under favourable conditions the life cycle may be
completed in a month.
It is interesting to note the instinct of these insects which led them in the
direction of a baker's shop.