The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-07-19
The White Grub.

1t may seem unnecessary to call at
tention to so common an insect as the
white grub. Yet Il summer never passes
without complaint from one or another
quarter of the destruction which the
white grub causes. The fact that it is
so common and so destructive warrants
q consideration of it. 1t is commonly
known that the sO-called June bug or
dor bug is the adult or beetle form Of
the white grub. This beetle may be
often seen in summer flying about the
rooms Just at dusk. if the doors and
windows have been left open, and the
presence of a few in such aplace means
that there are larger numbers at no
great distance off upon bushes or trees
Some have thought the beetle itself per-
fectly harmless, but its presence on
various trees in the nighttime will ac-
count for the dropping of the foliage
which is without apparent cause, as it
would seem. Yet the damage they do
i'll this state is but small as compared
with what they may have already done
in the larval state The female insect
burrows into the ground soon after pair
ing, when she deposits about fifty eggs
=
out in about month or 50 and does not
attain much size or do much damage the
first year. But look out for it the sec
ond, Woe to the young shoots of corn,
grass, lettuce, cabbage, Strawberries,
potatoes and the garden flowers, when
it attacks them! Working near the
surface it cuts off the young, tender
shoot and the plant, of course, withers
and dies. Dig down now as soon as the
willing is discovered and, if it be soon
after the plant was cut, the stealthy
enemy will be found. 1t is then a good
time to "stamp OUT the plague.
The grub becomes full grown in the
third or fourth year and then has a
smooth, greasy or dirty-white appear
ance. 1t changes into a beetle some
time in May or June. The question
may arise, will it do to haul manure
upon the garden or field containing
such grubs as are sometimes found
there? This is another insect alto
gether, although not dissimilar in APP
pearance, and can do no harm, as it
feeds wholly on decaycd vegetable mat
ter 1t is the grub known as the muck
worm.
Remedies: The beetle OF the de-
structive white grub is commonly capt
ured by setting several lanterns il
places where ''they most do cOngre-
gate" and over tub containing water.
They are attracted by the light, and
flying against the lanterns, they are
thrown into the water beneath and
drowned. The grub is hard insect to
fight. You don't know where to look
for him until the cutting process is all
over. But wherever and whenever one
is found, kill him on the spot. Nature,
too, has favored the farmer by giving
certain insects and birds to assist him
in his warfare on the grub. No doubt
the much-abused crow is as often in
search of his ''grub" in the corn-feld
as he is for corn, yet like some remedies
for human ailment, the medicine is as
bad as the disease. There are certain
vegetable parasites likewise that prey
upon the grub, and when such are
found do not destroy them as they may
be of much assistance later. Among
the animal enemies of this insect is the
skunk, which, if allowed, win dispose
of large numbers.-Springfetd (Mass.)
Republican.