The Globe-republican., 1890-04-16
THE CHiNCH BUG.
Some Remedies Thst May BE Used "a
Prevent Its RaVa4es.

Some Remedies Thst May he Used to
Prevent Its Rsvages.
Can this insect not be materially kept
in check by natural means? Yes, says
the Kansas State Entomologist- To q
certain degree this is quite possible.
and not nearly so difficult task as one
might suppose. A good cleaning up and
burning of rubbish of all kinds in late
fall, winter, or early spring, will answer
the purpose. if the work be general by
reducing the number of alternating in
sects. Usage orange and all other very
brushy hedges are the most attractive
retreats, and at the same time most
formidable retreats to master. The
breaking down and burning Of corn
stalks in the spring following chinch
bug year will also destroy myriads OF
the insects that have hibernated be-
tween the leaves and stalks. At other
times. however, the stalks had better
be utilized as fertilizer by plowing
under.
If covered deeply, this will be rem
edy fully as effectual as If burned. Pro-
tect the birds, and above all the quaiis,
for they destroy countless numbers OF
alternating insects of various kinds
that are to be picked up about hedges
and such like resorts frequented by
these birds throughout the year. Al
though belonging to the granivorous
birds, the quail is essentially insectivor-
GUS. except during inclement weather,
when insects are not easily obtained.
As a rule, but few birds, mammals, rep
tiles or rapacious insects seem to relish
any of the odoriferOus members of the
order hemiptera or true bugs. In win
ter, however, this repugnance is partial
ly overcome, and now and then even q
chinch bug seems delicate mOrsel
when ''meat" is scarce.
Various remedies, as plowing, rolling.
ditching, fencing and the use Of insecti-
cides have been suggested and used
with more or less favorable results, both
in this and other States; deep blowing
Immediately after harvest having sue
ceeded in few instances by covering
the bugs so deeply that they could not
creep out. Rolling at a like season
has crushed large numbers, while ditch
ing and fencing have succeeded in
punching" them, and for a time check
ing their onward movement while mi
grating from small grain fields to corn
fields. At such times the dragging
forward and backward of a heavy
weight of some sort has been the means
of causing great slaughter among their
continually increasing ranks. bitches
into which water could be turned have
formed complete barriers to their creep
ing migrations, but not to the after
movements of the winged insects as
they were about to mate for the second
brood.
This insect, like all depredators, has
its likes and dislikes, and chooses its
food plants with considerable dainti-
ness of taste. The small grains are the
first on the list, after which follow
some of the grasses and corn. Among
the grasses, millet, Hungarian and fox
tail stand at the head, while a few
others that usually grow as weeds fol-
low closely. Wild buckwheat is also
quite delicacy with them, and 1 have
noticed several examples where weedy
fields we're less injured than clean ones.
Notwithstanding the fact that the one
contained equally as many bugs as the
other. Several farmers in this State
have also mentioned the same fact to
me. AS rule, grain in a grassy field
has the disadvantage alongside of that
growing in clean one.