The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-09
THE COLORADO BEETLE.
Where Ii Came From--What 1t Eats, and
how to Destroy It.

THE COLORADO BEETLE.
Whore Ii Came From.-What 1t Eats, and
how to Destroy 1t.
The Colorado beetle, or potato bug,
was first discovered in the canyons of
the Colorado mountains, where it fed
upon several weeds, natives of that re-
gion, and was known to entomologists
long before it became q pest to the
farmer. Until potatoes were plented in
the far West, it had nothing to subsist
upon in journey eastward, but when
the country became settled, the insect
rapidly increased with the abundance of
food; it was first noticed as injurious to
the crops about 1850, and since then has
progressed eastward and into Canada
with accelerated rapidity.
It attacks tomatoes, and especially egg
plants, of which it seems to be more fond
than of anything else. Ornamental
plants of the family are attacked by it.
1t seems, since it has come eastward, to
have acquired taste for other plants,
not at all related to the solanum family;
pig weeds, mullen, thistles and smart
weed among wild plants, and the cab
bage among those in occasionally Guilt
vation, are plants it has been known to
attack.
SO far as experience has shown, the
insect on it's progress eastward does not
move on, but some remain, and while
they do not seem 80 numerous after the
first few years, potato growers appar-
emily must accept tho beetle as a fixed
fact. It has kept foothold wherever
it has come, and there is no present in
dication that it will soon leave. It is in
vain to hope that it will cure itself, but
it demands the serious attention of all
who cultivate the potato and related
plants. To be sure, there are its natural
enemies, which we may hope, Judging
from other insect soourges, will increase
sufficiently to keep it in subsection, but
these slowly follow the pest. There are
several of these, one genuine parasite
that deposits its eggs in tho larva OF the
potato beetle, and several others that
attack, kill, and feed upon the larvae.
Several larvn of the ladybirds are very
active in this respect, and should be en-
couraged, or at least not destroyed, as
we have known to be the case. They
move with great activity, and destroy
numbers of the young grubs of the po-
tato bug; these are usually lead colored,
with bright orange spots; these and the
perfect ladybirds should be unmolested,
as should their pur@. The ladybird
larva enters the pupa state on the potato
vine, attaching itself to stem or leaf;
ii coils up and may be, by careless OBJ
server, mistaken for small potato bug
grub, and destroyed. This is perfectly
dormant and attached, while the other
will move, and is readily picked off.
Other insects in the perfect state, and as
larva, aid in the work Of destroying the
larVm of the potato bug. The only safe
way is to watch every other insect found
among them, and do not destroy it until
it is found to be injurious to the potato
plant.
When the potatoes first appear above
ground, begin the search for the bugs.
The first that appear come out OF the
ground after their winters rsst. If
these are captured at once, before they
breed and lay eggs, it will materially
diminish their future numbers. Much
may be done by mechanical means wher
the insects are not in overwhelming
numbers. Some have been very sue
cessful in simply knocking them off by
means Of light paddle made OF shingle,
and catching them in a pan containing
water. We have successfully used a
pan of sheet iron thirty inches long, with
the other parts in proportion. The
edges of the pan curve inward and make
it difficult for the insects to crawl out.
With this in one hand, and light brush
in the other, one can knock off the IN
sects in large numbers very rapidly.
The brush should be stiff enough to re-
move the Larvae and not iniure the
leaves; we find wisp of straw, or
bunch of some strong growing grass, as
handy as anything. There are patented
contrivances for mechanically removing
the bugs, but they promise no better
results than these simple means.-Agri'
cult,4ris