AV Geeks Lunch 10 26 2021

hi everybody i'm skip alzheimer and welcome to the av geeks lunchtime streaming show where we watch old 16 millimeter films that we have in our archive um so today i am not in the studio even though i'm in the studio uh at the archive um i am yeah sometimes i gotta get out i gotta live a life you know so that's where i'm doing i'm walking around in the fresh air somewhere um hopefully it's not raining uh but today we're gonna watch um a bunch of films about insects and um the first one we're gonna watch is silent but um it is the battle of the centuries uh where we see ants and termites fighting there's no sound to this which is too bad but i can imagine uh if we could play the uh that soundtrack from that um episode of star trek um where they have the battle um where kirk and uh spock battle i think that's would be appropriate here so if you can find it um go ahead and play that while you're watching this so enjoy so all right so this next film is was made by the university of clemson in south carolina but was sponsored by a pesticide company and um like a lot of the films i have they actually are they talk about insects but they talk about insects because they have come up with ways to eradicate them and they talk about insects as uh pests um and so that's what this film is um goodbye mr roach enjoy [Music] me [Music] food [Music] where he has three on each side [Music] his mouth is as sharp as a dart this head is shaped like a heart [Music] [Music] where did it come from i don't know i just found it what does it do [Music] beautiful [Music] ladybug [Music] ladybug i'm sure [Music] and as far as i've seen her body shiny [Music] [Music] have you ever seen it [Music] he's so ugly it's pitiful [Music] i think to be in it will be done [Music] so [Music] hey now wait follow me the big fat potatoes don't you see [Music] so don't run away it's nothing to fear but since you're so scared i'll just stand right here all right so this next film you know we saw how violent uh clashes between ants and termites uh let's watch a educational film made for young kids called some friendly insects to teach us about how some insects are not pests but are beneficials to our society and to the environment and joy recognize this gentleman in english he is called cockroach croton bug roach water bug or black beetle the germans call him shaban the french le blatt and in spanish he is known as la cucaracha no matter what the language or country the cockroach is an unwelcome and disgusting pest in any home let's take a look at senor cucaracha how and where he lives and better still how to get rid of him [Music] roaches are one of the oldest insects having lived in the days of the dinosaur fortunately for us the size of our roach today is extremely small compared with his ancestor roaches of the days of the dinosaur were several feet long today some roaches found in the tropics grow three or four times larger than our common american cockroach the true home of the roach is outdoors beneath the bark of trees and under rocks this has resulted in their bodies heads and legs becoming flattened allowing them to hide in small cracks and crevices there are about two thousand different kinds of roaches but only four have adapted to life indoors the largest of these is the american roach adults may be from one and a half to two inches long reddish brown to dark brown in color the oriental cockroach sometimes called black beetle because of their short wings heavy body and dark color are slightly smaller than their american cousin the brown banded roach is the smallest of our four kinds and brightest in color they like high places such as the ceiling and upper cabinets in a kitchen this makes them a little harder to control the german roach is the most common and is often called croton bug or water bug adults are slightly larger than the brown banded but are still less than one inch long and light brown in color [Music] here are all four together left to right the american oriental brown banded and the german [Music] roaches may come into a home several different ways sewers or basement drains are one of the most common [Music] they can also enter through any openings in the walls such as around electrical conduits or plumbing or through cracks in the baseboard or under doors roaches can be carried into a home in laundry packages or in boxes of groceries all packages which might possibly contain roaches should be examined carefully if an adult carrying an egg capsule gets away a population of roaches is likely to develop the capsule which may contain as many as 48 eggs is deposited in a hidden location when the eggs develop into young roaches they push open the capsule to emerge [Music] ah [Music] these young nymphs are extremely active and will begin to search for food immediately a few days later the young roaches turn to a yellowish brown color still in the nymph stage these roaches are almost grown but have not yet developed wings wings are present only on adults [Music] after several generations a large colony will develop creating a very unpleasant odor in the house roaches destroy food damaged fabrics books and other materials by polluting food over which they run they spread filth and may carry diseases when roach populations build up their presence is easily noted by roach spots in places where they congregate such as in cabinets drawers and behind pictures roaches hide during the day in sheltered dark places at night they come out in search of food and water [Music] a good way to find roaches is to enter a dark room quietly snap on the lights and watch where they run to hide [Music] they may be found in cracks in the baseboard around water pipes underneath the sink [Music] behind cabinets or any other place they can hide from the light scientists have worked for years developing insecticides to control roaches ddt proved fairly effective but later another chemical chlordane was developed and today it is considered to be one of the most effective insecticides for roach control chlordane is available in liquid or powder form for home use it should be purchased as a two to three percent oil base spray or as a five to six percent dust read the label of any insecticide you purchase to make sure it contains the proper amount of the active chemical [Music] a single treatment of chlordane applied correctly leaves an invisible film which gives protection for several weeks for most effective results the material should be applied to all secluded places and cracks so that no matter where the roach tries to hide he will come in contact with the residue special attention should be given to baseboards the area under the sink should be treated carefully as it is a favorite hiding spot for roaches [Music] especially around the water pipes where roaches often enter [Music] hard to reach places such as behind the stove can be effectively treated with the dusk form of clordain a small puff duster makes the job easier [Music] if cabinet drawers are cleaned thoroughly it will not be necessary to treat inside them a small paintbrush makes it easy to apply the insecticide around the back and under surfaces [Music] before treating cabinets and other storage places first remove all food and utensils here again the brush makes it easy to apply the insecticide effectively [Music] after the insecticide dries the shelf should be covered with paper before replacing the food or utensils [Music] proper and thorough treatment will eliminate mr roach from this kitchen for some time to come treatment of other areas of the house where roaches are found will aid in making a roach-free home [Music] roach-free communities are the result of careful planning and cooperation of city county and state organizations [Music] city-wide campaigns are successful in eliminating roaches where they breed in large numbers the application of chlordane dust to sewers and other breeding places has become a standard practice in many cities this is often done with the cooperation of commercial exterminators [Music] with both individual and community action we can control roaches in our homes and reduce the nuisance and danger of this common pest the development of insecticides has kept pace with our modern way of life today chemicals are available which will kill insects weeks after they're applied through proper use of these chemicals by individuals and communities we can say goodbye to mr roach our number one household pest [Music] [Music] the next film we're going to watch is um insects astray and this is another film that talks about insects as pests and shows in detail how they can be eradicated enjoy [Music] so [Music] the prehistoric world primeval landscape the earth spins in space uninhabited as yet by man yet not without living creatures vegetation covers its surface a host of plants that flower and die [Music] insects one of the oldest forms of life are already rampant on the planet even before it has stopped spitting smoke and fire [Music] the earth's surface is shaken by vast convulsions and animals are buried for thousands of years [Music] from the fossil remains of insects we can see that their forms have remained unchanged over millions of years nature will not be hurried [Music] the earth is visited by searing droughts and devastating floods the waters cover it in the shades of primeval furs and palms the giant saurians struggled for existence nature's experiment was size yet they too in time went under but the insects remained they lived on to see the coming of man like a mighty army the mightiest of all armies they are indestructible [Music] they make their home on land and in the water insects can tolerate the burning sands of the desert as readily as the cold of ice and snow who is master of the world man or the insects nature's most resistant creatures representing nine tenths of all forms of life [Music] nothing stops the insects they are utterly ruthless in their lust to destroy this precious tapestry for instance is to them as welcome as an ordinary suit to roam and gorge to their hearts content let us look closer take a sample of the matter eaten by the mouth mix it with water and examine it under the microscope this insect has been eating wool now the same sample magnified three hundred times it clearly shows that the wool fibers have been completely digested this confirms the fact that wool must be the insects natural food well but you may ask these insects that now eat wool what did they feed on before the coming of man the laws of nature are inexorable life alternates with death and dead matter the refuse of life must not be left to decay and contaminate nature has her own scavengers whose job it is to remove this refuse fur or feather whatever it may be to assist in this process of clearing what is dead is the never-ending task of the industrious army of insects in their natural environment the insects have their proper function as a necessary link in the great biological cycle the various parts of which are purposefully attuned to produce a harmonious hole man since he was driven out of eden has been compelled to earn his bread in the sweat of his brow he began to till the soil little dreaming that in doing so he was creating a new world a paradise in fact for a whole host of insect pests [Music] besides food man requires clothes [Music] wool is one of the earliest forms of protection against the elements the moths forsaking the functions assigned to them by nature migrated from an inhospitable outside world into the homes of man they became insects astray and so the battle began the adult moth as every housewife knows doesn't eat his only purpose is to reproduce his kind after mating the female lays her eggs placing them one by one in a carefully chosen spot [Music] [Applause] [Music] how generous is nature within a matter of hours the moth has laid 100 eggs or more species can be distinguished even at this stage the variety of shapes is endless [Music] growth within the egg continues there is a food reserve for this in the egg itself [Music] in a few days the grub hatches out and starts to spin at the same time it begins to feed with a very hearty appetite now the visitor becomes both a pest and a thief feeding ends only when the grub is ready to mature into adulthood that strange and complex phase in the life of many insects within the chrysalis the future moth can be clearly seen [Music] the emergence of the adult insect from the chrysalis is a laborious process [Music] out at last each limb is tried out separately legs antennae wings gradually the insect unfolds and stretches in the light of day then sets about its only business in life procreation this is but one of many kinds of moths that are harmful to wounds and moths are not the only culprits here are one or two examples of damage a tear a hole worn by rubbing a careless smoker leaves his mark an acid burn smooth edges a perfect triangle smooth edges again but so many holes together that these were not done accidentally they call for closer investigation one of the visitors may have something to do with them a slide covered with a thin film of lacquer is pressed on the damaged place aha what's this sticking to it it certainly doesn't look like a part of the wool the biologist tells us that these are the so-called cordo hairs of the carpet beetle larvae that explains the smooth edges which definitely would not have been left by moth grubs and yet there is something rather fascinating about this tiny creature here is a lovely scene flowers in bloom mother and daughter a warm summer's day and a cute little beetle almost like a ladybug but beware harmless as he looks he's the parent of one of the most destructive wool pests [Music] these attractive insects are carpet or fur beetles so-called because of their preference for furs and carpets they spend their early youth on flowers but soon instinct drives them into our homes they make for a dark corner and here our unwelcome visitors lay their eggs the child's delight becomes the housewives fright soon the grubs hatch out and devour the wool around them with a firm and hearty appetite all these insects go through the same life cycle from eggs to grub from chrysalis to adult with its terrifying mandibles the grub breaks up the individual fiber before swallowing it here is a mixed fabric consisting of wool and rayon not even this material is proof against these pests the moth grub the carpet beetle grub or the fur beetle grub nothing is safe from their vigorous appetites the smaller the quantity of wool in the fabric the more the insect has to damage in its search for food it's almost impossible to calculate the damage done by these pests the total year by year all over the world is something like a thousand tons this is just a figure of course but we can give it substance by saying that a thousand tons of wool is enough to clothe a million people and what about the irreparable damage done to valuable carpets tapestries and to museum pieces in the good old days all sorts of household remedies were used against the closed moths camphor naphthalene pepper and so on the idea was that the vapors given off by these substances would keep away the moors [Music] but the smell often far outlasted their effectiveness [Music] a new approach was needed to this problem might it not be possible to get at the root of the evil by interfering with the insects food supposing wool could be so changed that it could no longer be eaten by the grubs but at the same time retain its other properties for instance by evolving a chemical as fast as the fastest dye that would penetrate the wool fiber and be released only in the process of digestion in other words make it moth proof for life that was the obvious way the idea had already occurred to someone as far back as the 18th century it was raymur whose name we remember in connection with thermometers what is less well known is the fact that rey muir was the first man to concern himself with the problem of moth damage to wool but he was born before his time here is a chemical laboratory about 1860 a turning point in the history of chemistry natural dye stuffs were being superseded by the new synthetic ones in this important changeover lies the key to the solution of our problem today we have an unending variety of dye stuffs at our disposal and there are vastly improved fastness to light heat and washing and brushing properties hitherto undreamt of have been discovered certain dye stuffs can even kill insect pests that feed on wool but are these dyes fast when applied on wool for that is one of the first requirements this die has a good affinity for the fiber [Music] now let us try this wool on the insect yes the insects die but could the lethal dye stuff be made colorless and without impairing its other properties many and complicated were the experiments which were carried out [Music] but eventually success was achieved and the new compound dichloro diphenyl ether dichlorophenol urea was given the name mitten but all isn't as simple as it looks the manufacture of this new miracle has many problems and from test tube to bulk production the way was long and worrisome the intricate and unique plant was developed by the skill of the chemical engineers and today it produces scores of tons every day mitten is not a household article in fact its application involves a process which only experts can carry out to ensure that the protection is lastingly effective the dye house is a place for it it is a colorless powder soluble in water the prescribed quantity is carefully weighed out and dissolved in plenty of boiling water it is boiled up until a clear solution is obtained this is added to the dye bath acid and dye stuffs follow in the required amounts temperature and acidity of the dye bass are carefully checked to ensure that mitten and dye blend evenly on the material when they are taken up by the wool the material is rinsed and dried [Music] a piece is cut off and sent to the laboratory for testing it cannot be distinguished from an ordinary untreated piece of wool by the naked eye by smell nor by touch only chemical or biological tests confirm the presence of mitten two pieces one treated the other untreated are steeped in an alkaline oramin solution under an ultraviolet lamp the treated piece fluoresces the other does not at the official testing station the same piece undergoes a whole series of tests to prove that this moth proofing is fast to washing unaffected by dry cleaning resistant to intensive brushing and scrubbing fast to light but in the end the proof of the pudding is in the eating here in the biological laboratory maws and beetles are bred on a large scale a certain number of grubs are counted out and placed on treated material in these three tins the same is done with untreated material the grubs are left on the treated and untreated patterns for two weeks in identical conditions under thermostatic control the test is complete the treated material is undamaged the untreated piece has been eaten to bits a new weapon has proved its worth but seeing that this moth proof material cannot be distinguished from untreated world how can we recognize articles that are mitten process the information is on the label [Music] this label is backed by a worldwide organization of testing laboratories which examine the output of mitten moth proof goods wherever they are made but in addition to its service to the industry this testing is in itself a form of research paving the way for new discoveries the aim is to force these wool eating insects into a final and permanent retreat from wool if all wool were made waterproof the wool eating insects would find no food in our homes there would be a mass migration out of our dwellings where life for them had become insupportable they would have to go back from the world clad world of men to the original abode of their ancestors the hordes of laws of fur beetles of carpet beetles would take to flight and their departure would be as remarkable as the return of a great river to its ancient bed the wool eating insects would no longer be a stray they would be thrown back upon their original functions which was the removal of dead matter no longer is it necessary to fear the moth wool can now be rendered moth proof during manufacture [Music] at last forcing this pest to seek its food elsewhere in the ever-changing everlasting biological cycle of the mysterious universe [Music] [Applause] [Music] and finally this is a terry tunes um paul terry who animated um heckle and jekyll and mighty mouse and lots of other things early on did some um things that he released to theaters not unlike walt disney and these this is a bug carnival enjoy [Music] oh [Music] um [Music] [Music] go away [Music] so [Music] um [Music] [Music] ladies and gentlemen [Music] [Music] um [Music] um [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] um [Music] [Music] me [Music] man yeah i i love these that style of animation from that time period is the 30s where uh everybody's dancing and singing and everybody's moving and grooving and so um i've got more of those in my collection that i'll be showing over the next several months so thanks for tuning in today uh if you like what you saw you can buy me a coffee at dot buymeacoffee.com slash av geeks you can also visit and buy dvds at avgeeks.com and you can hit like subscribe and you can hit the notification these are all ways to get more eyeballs on what we do so thanks so much for tuning in we will see you soon bye