Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-07-13
THE TENT CATERPILLAR.
Its Natural History and the Means for Its
Destruction.

the State agricultural experiment sta
tion, treats of the natural history of the
tent caterpillar, aud the means to be used
for its destruction, in bulletin No. II in
part 's follows.
SO long ago rs 1896 an account OF this in
sect was published in Boston by Professor
Peck Its history, habits, and remedies for
its destruction, have been given over and
over again, and yet it is not eradicated.
On the contrary, at least here in Yer
mont, it has actually increased, 80 that
from different parts of the State there
come this spring complaints loud and long
that the tent caterpillars are de = ..Ag
the orchards.
1. The eggs These are easily recog-
nized, as they form bands about the small
Ter twigs. These bands, consisting of from
POO to 300 and sometimes a greater num-
Der, of small oval eggs, are from half an
inch to nearly an inch wide, aud about
three-eighths OF an inch in diameter. The
whole cluster, after being attached to the
twigs, i covered with a shining grayish
varnish, which probably renders it water
proof, and protects 1t to some extent from
the inCemencies of the weather. The
eggs are laid in July by the moths, into
which the caterpillars develop Each egg
is very small, but the cluster is easily seen
after the leaves have fallen. aud at any
time during the fall or winter may be de-
tected and removed.
3 Tue laa. + trly in the spring, as
the buds begin to open, the eggs which
hatch into sWarms OF little dark worms
begin at once to form in the webs, or tents
The SILK of which this is made, eXudes as
a thick fluid from glands just back Of the
mouth Ihi- hardeus, rs ii COOl- and dries,
iuto the silk threads 80 we'll known.
From the tent the young caterpillars 90 to
the leaves TOR food, usually twice each
day, though they may 90 but once, and if
stormy they may not leave the tent for "a
hours They do not usually leave the
teut before nine in the morning and are
well settled tor the night at sundown.
The caterpillar attalns its full growth
IN about tive or six weeks, aud is then two
inches long, very prettily marked and
spotted.
3. The chrys4ls. About the middle or
last of June or sooner if the season is un
usually early, the caterpillars cease feed
ing and leave the web, each wandering OF
by itself 10 any convenient crack or other
shel er and there forming an oval yellow
ish cocoon, made from the silk 1t provides
mingled with sort of yellow paste.
4. The moth. In TWO weeks, or two
weeks and half the cocoon is broken
open AT one end and moth emerges.
These moths are often seen flying about
| on July evening, At which season the
eS-o oiV i".' ie''iJ ~, go. ,.y ly
| knows, Oh apple. plum and other trees.
| The insect feeds only in the larval, or
caterpillar state, the sole function OF the
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| seen that the great wonder Is that 1t
should continue to exist in any numbers.
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