Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-18
ENEMIES OF oRassHoPrKks.
what They Are and the Chances Of ras.sss
Them Co Account.

ENEMIES OF oRAssHoPrKRs.
what They Are and the Chances ef rar<ses
Them Co Account.
~ RkssHoffERs HAVING BEcONB
~ troublesome recently In Kansas and el-e-
whore in the west the Department 81 Agrrcul-
ture has been trying 10 find out what creatares
prey upon these destructive insects. II same
Of their natural foes couid be encouragof 10
multiply or could be srtifcialy propsgatai. IL
might be greatly 10 the advantage Of farmers in
the infested regions Among them are several
kinds OF birds-for example. the butcher tird.
which has such . curious habit Of imp4iing
small birds, lizards and other prey that IL esp
lures on thorns. These feathered executioners
commonly use the sharp barbs Of bsrbed -ire
fences for impaiing grss-hopperr upon. anc in
driving along such q fence IL n no uncommon
sight 10 see hundreds Of "hopper~" thus frosted
within short space. Probably the bird hat
renders the greatest benefit % agriculture by
devouring erssshoppers is the Arkansas hing
bird, sometimes called the bee bird. specimen
Of which IN a cage has been known 30 con-
sumo l2o OF the insects in . single day. Cuf0r-
tunately neither Of these birds is very numerous
IN parts Of the country that are exposed 90 Tie
plague.
TINE FENCE LIZARD.
fence lizard, which catches and eats a great
many grssshoppers. The species 10 very essn-
mon in the infested regions Slunks are most
active enemies of the insect and have been
known TO ascend trees FOR the purpose OF catch
ing them. For obvious reasons II will hardly
De practicable 20 encourage these particular
mammals, but no such objection would Apf'iy
TO toads, which are apt TO swarm wherever The
.hoppers" are, gcbbling the latter greedlly.
Many planters in California employ hocks q
turkeys Tor the purpose Of freeing their orchards
and vineyards OF grasshoppers. One turkey
viii destroy an almost incredible number IN n
single day. Incidentally. the birds are fatteIssd
at the cheapest possible rate They are 80 foad
Of such food that sometimes they devour 100
many and die of indigestion.
Common barnyard fowls are likewise very r.
hcient destroyers OF grasshoppers In one on@e
ment OF Agriculture an almond orchard eot1-
tanning $50 acres attacked by migrating
swarms last year. The house and barn were
situated in the middle Of the orchard and the
chickens browsed around them over an area q
six or eight acres, which by August looked
like a green oasis in the desert. the trees every
where else having been stripped Of their leaves
oy the voracious insects.
WASP THAT KILLS.
Among the productions insects the rpeci.s
which probably destroys the greatest number
of grasshoppers is the black wasp. The female
digs her burrow in the earth and provisions it
with ''hoppers, which she catches ON the wing.
stupefying them by repeatedly thrusting her
sting into their bodies. The victim being thu-
paralyzed the wasp gets astride of it, seizes il
by the antenn@ and drags il TO her burroN
Having placed il in the bottom of the burrow
she deposits one or more eggs upon il and thin
with her fore feet fills the burrow up with eartla
Thus, when the eggs hatch out the young VASES
will find plenty of nutritious food 30 busilr
a. sls.
work that she may be seen searching for and
burying grasshoppers all through the day.
Curiously enough. she always seems TO select q
devastating locust for her prey.
Grasshoppers have also certain animal pam
sites which prey upon them and kl tiem,
nothing remaining Of their corpses finally but
mere shells. individuals thus affected have
been gathered for the purpose Of propagatinx
the mischief among their kind Healthy living
ones have been placed with the infected bodies
OF dead "hoppers, and, when they have be-
come noculated, others will be treated like
wise. Finally, numbers Of the diseased insects
will be scattered in the fields with q view On
spreading the complaint. How effective this
method viii be remains TO be seen
REMARKABLE Buos.
Some apprehension has been felt recently fp
certain parts Of the west respecting the large
wingless insects known as western crickets,"
which have their home in the sage brush region.
their distribution reaching over the Great sAlt
Lake basin into northern Oregon, eastsrn wsAh~
ington, western Montana, and occasionally into
western Wyoming. These remarkable bugs
move over the country in immense droves HE
sheep sometimes, although usually they arc
found wandering about singly IN pairs md
feeding upon the scanty vegetation q the aid
or semi-arid regions. Al . rule, esoh species -
confined to a somewhat limited area and pre-
fers some particular plant ~ its chief dies. Bus
few OF the different kinds have thus far been
studied at all to their habits and life history,
and most Of them - yet pssssss no scientific
names.
Two species Of these crickets appeared last
year in great numbers over an extensive terri
tory, one vast swarm, that spread over the en-
tire region drained by the Malade river, cover
ing tract nine miles long by three miles wide.
They laid eggs, and fears are entertained lest
the country will be exposed TO further depreds-
tions by their progeny during the present year.
As with many other insects when they develop
in excessive numbers, the desire 20 move in
great crowds seems to seize these crickets at
times. At such periods they move toward cen
trial points and gather in amazing numbers,
after which they strike out in q body in some
particular direction When moving they turn
neither to the right nor TO the left, but keep on
In direct line, even plunging into streams
which happen TO run across their line Of travel.
When such streams are encountered. il not too
large, they are soon filed 10 such an extent that
the oncoming hordes are enabled 30 cross over
on the bodies Of the leading hosts. II Is said
that they can be driven Just like drove Of
sheep" when they have stopped to feed. and NJ
such times they are often ''herded of" gardens
and fields Of grain.