The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-07-16
Ghe &farmer.
THE GRAIN WEBVILS.

THE GRAIN WEEVILS.
The losses sustained by our farmers,
millers and dealers in the cereals from the
depredations of insects which infest stored
grain have not heretofore been of very
serious nature, but within the past ten
years these pests have multiplied so rapid
ly that some method must soon be adopted
to check their increase, or European coun-
tries viii refuse to admit to their ports that
which they now 50 readily welcome. The
closing of European markets to American
grain would certainly be d great loss to our
farmers, but even this would not be so
serious matter as the destruction of that
retained for home use. We are not say
ing this to unnecessarily alarm farmers
and dealers in grain, but the facts in re
gard to the increase. of grain weevils in all
parts Of the country are too overwhelming
to be passed over in silence.
The greatest grain pest in the Northern
States is the imported grain weevil Ca
la1lelra granaria). just when or how it
was introduced Is now unknown, but it is
only within the past few years that it has
become sufficiently abundant to attract any
considerable attention. 1t is a small snOut
beetle, belonging to the same family as the
plum and apple curculio, but instead of at
taeking fruit, it breeds in and lives upon
stored grain. preferring wheat, although it
viii not refuse oats, barley, or sorghum; in
fact, it is a general grain pest. 1t is about
one-eighth of an inch long and quite slen-
der, with a snout slightly bent downward,
and coarsely punctnred and very long
thorax, constituting nearly one-half the
length Of the whole body. It's wing COW
ers are furrowed, and covered with very
minute punctures. The color is pitehy
red, but sometimes nearly black. This
little beetle, both in its perfect end grub
state, devours wheat aud other stored grain,
and its powers of multiplication are 50
great that a single pair, if left undisturb-
cd, may produce more than 5000 descen-
dants in i year. The female deposits her
eggs upon the grain after it IS placed 10
the barn or granary, and these eggs soon
hatch; the young grubs bore into the grain,
eating out the substance, and leaving
nothing but the bull When once started
IN their work of destruction, they continue
at it as long as there Is sound grain to
feed upon, unless disturbed, aud then hun
dreds and even millions viii crawl away
and hide IN the cracks about the barn, or
wherever safe retreat eau be found. OF
course, wheat or other grain infested by
these beetles eau be seat to the mill and
ground, but to think Of feeding out such
a product TO animals IS not agreeable.
Besides, it is not always safe food.
Flour made Of beetle-infesied grain is
certainly unhealthy, If not always actually
poisonous. The VIM eases and shell Of
these grain weeyils contain the same me
dieinal properties as the eaHttari3es, OF
Spanish fly; and although in grinding the
grain and passing the -four through the
boiling cloth, the larger part of these shells
would 90 into the bran, still the smaller
particles must pass into the -four, aud there
become dangerous element. Not long
since, correspondent in Ohio sent Us i
few beetles, saying that his wheat in the
granary was alive with them, aud as the
specimens were badly crushed in the mails
we requested few more in order to be
certain in regard to the species. He re-
sponded with large tia box, holding At
least pint, filed with this European
grain weevil, and in his note accompany
ing them he said 81 can send you a
bushel Of the same Kind if you want them.
/. Hone farmer could gather a bushel Of these
weeyils in his barn, it IS very certain that
there are more Of the saIHe kind elsewhere
in Ohio. 10 fact, it has been known for
some years that this insect was on the in
crease in all parts Of the country, but very
little has been said about it, perhaps for
fear Of iDjuring the sale Of grain, or ofthe
land where it was most abundant
In the Middle and Southern States a
closely allied species, known as the rice
weeYi (calaadra oryzos), abounds almost
everywhere, attacking wheat, rice, oats,
Indian corn, and even the seeds Of some Of
the wild grasses. Itdifers somewhat from
the European grain Eeevil, being Of much
darker color, and there are two red spots
on each wing cover. In the South it is
called the .bIack weeyil, to distinguish it
from the red weeTii, an insect belonging to
different genus, which also attacks grain
in the field as well as WheG stored In gra-
narics. This rice weeyil has now become
SO common at the South that keeping grain
Of almost any kind is becoming very diff
cult. These insects are so small that they
readily find access to the grain when stored
in ordinary gFanaries, no matter how care
full the farmer may be in his attempts TO
keep them out. If the grain IS left in
bundles stacked ia the field or stored in
the barn, the weevils soon find it and COM
menee their work Of destruction, aud when
they have once found a Judgement on a
farm, It becomes q difficult matter to get
rid of them.
Kiln drying win destroy both the grubs
in the grain as well as the eggs and beet
les. and there are few farmers who can az
ford to do this, and heating grain to a
temperature required for destroying the
Weevils would be likely to destroy lis vi
tality; consequently this process will only
answer for that which is to be ground up
or fed to stock. Scattering dry lime
among grain is said to be good proven
tive, anu II luc ~ dAa - ANPN dUiNS ~ =
would not be injurious, because, by run.
ming the grain again through tanning
mill. the lime could be readily removed
In cool climates there is less difficulty IL
keeping Out weevils, for if the grain is
threshed early and stored in a cool place
where it can be thrown Ovar or moved from
one bin to another every three or foul
weeks, the weeyils viii make little progress
Grain to be kept for seed may be placed
ia tight barrels and sprinkled with benzint
or some similar insectieide.
The rice and imported grain weeyils are
not the only kinds which injure grain, fol
there are several species known under the
common name of cred weeyil, which moi
only attack wheat and ether kinds Of grain
but infest bran shorts and meal, and will
even subsist on grass seeds. The mos
abundant of these weeyils is the one known
to entomologists as Silranas Suriaanien