The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-04-15
FARMER AND PLANTER.
PEA AND BEAN WEEviLS.
How They are Produced and How to Re-
press the Pests.

How They are Produced and How to Ke-
press the Pests.
Every year these little pests annoy
many of us by inha biting our peas and
beans, leaving little but the she'll when
spring comes. From this time of the
year till they leave the cavities their
presence can be told by the little dark
spot or spots on the seed. If the trans
lucent skin covering this spot is broken
the beetle will be found beneath.
The pea weevil is about two-tenths
of an inch long and more than half as
broad. 1t is dark brown, with several
white spots on the elytra and more
prominent one on the back part OF the
thorax. The wing covers do not extend
over the back part of the abdomen, and
on this uncovered portion is plainly
shown T-shaped white mark.
The bean weevil is much smaller and
of lighter dull color. 1t is not as
common yet as the one that feeds on
the pea, but is annually becoming
more widely distributed and more nu-
merous.
In Europe there are species of Vice.
wills, almost like ours, that work on the
pea and bean there. We have but the
one species, bruchus pisi, that works on
the pea Bruchus absoletus is our most
destructive species on the barn, but
while in Arkansas this season, another
species, b. vipunctata was found to be
quite numerous. Seldom more than
one beetle is found in each seed pea
while often as high as ten OF fifteen
may be found in a single bean. Neither
the beans nor peas attacked by these
weevils often have the germ destroyed
so that the seed will not germinate and
grow, but the vitality of the plant from
such seed is greatly impaired. The
seed should not be used in planting if
possible.
Some may wonder how these insects
got into the peas and beans, and if so
perhaps something of their life and his
tory may be interesting. AS soon as
the pods begin to form in the spring, the
females fasten their yellowish colored
eggs to the outside surface of the pod
by gummy secretion. The little white
larvae that hatch from these eggs eat
through the pod into the growing seed
within and continue to grow with it..
They are SO small that the opening soon
closes after them and we can see no
trace thereafter. Neither can they be
easily detected in the young peas or
beans and we eat a goodly number of
them in this way. The larve when
mature pupate in the cell formed by
them, and then change to the image
ready to emerge the following spring
and again start the same cycle.
If everybody would be very careful
and not plant buggy" beans and peas,
and would destroy all these beetles be-
fore they escape from the seeds, we
would soon be free from such attack.
| This probably will never be, but each
one can do much to keep them from his
| own plants. The beetles will soon be-
gin to escape, especially if kept in a
| moderately-warm room, and should be
looked after that they do not escape.
| The seeds should at least be put in a
tight sack or can from which the weevils
can not escape before some remedy is
used to destroy them.
The remedy that seems to be most
common in use is to immense the peas
| in hot water for short time till the
weevils are scalded. This will not in
jure the termination. Some advocate
nj cinu in tho oven and haatino o till the
object is accomplished.
One lady, who gave her experience on
this subject in the country Gentleman a
short time ago, resorted to desperate
means and poured coal oil over sacl,
of beans till all was thoroughly satu-
rated. She found the beans thus treated
grew as well as those no treated. 1t is
needless to say that it killed the
weevils A small quantity of bisul.
phide of carbon poured into tight box
containing the infected peas or beans
will also make quick work with the
weevils BY the use of this, the seed
can not possibly be injured, but care
must be taken in using this liquid that
it is far from any light or fire, as gas
escaping from it is easily ignited unde,
such circumstances. This is probably the
most desirable remedy of any where
there are large quantities of the seeds
to be treated. Do not let the weevils
escape whatever remedy is used.-Rura
| World