The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-04-25
MIGRATORY HABIT.
HOW ChinCh Bugs Move From One
Place to Another.

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first generation mature, and, after
mating, deposit eggs for q second and
last brood. These eggs are usually
deposited behind the old and withered
sheaths of the lower leaves, where
they may be found quite readily, and
in large numbers. not being SO much
hidden by particles of soil as those
laid earlier in spring. Under such
sheaths the young bugs hatch and
feed, sometimes even undergoing all
their metamorphoses to the adult
stage. Most larvae, however, leave
these shelters, because they are too
crowded, and search for more suitable
places upon other plants. In this
manner soon most of the plants in a
field are crowded, and suffer in conse-
quence. The outer rows of corn, so
thrifty looking at first, soon cease to
furnish food, and after the insects
have left appear white and bleached.
In very severe cases, cornfield badly
infected can be distinguished from all
others by their bleached appearance;
and, as this. usually happens during
our hottest and dryest season, even
repeating showers of rain are unable
to strengthen and revive such plants.
Whoever wishes to study the power
of insects to destroy and to increase
needs only to pull down leaf of a
corn plant infected with chinch bugs.
He will find, snugly hidden beneath
the sheath, immense numbers of these
insects, together with the discarded
coats of the earlier stages of this bug.
In course of time all these insects
mature, and as their supply of food
commences to flow more sparingly, or
ceases to flow altogether, it is time for
them to search for shelters under
which to pass the winter. Many of
the insects remain for this purpose
under the very sheaths that offered
them shelter and food thus far, but
the great majority now make good
use of their wings and scatter far and
near. As their usual winter quarters
have already been described, it is not
necessary to repeat.
This, in general way, the life his
tory of the chinch-bug. 1t varies
somewhat in details in the different
regions or in different seasons, but as
far as Minnesota alone is concerned,
no essential facts have been omitted.
1t might be added, that during their
migrations to the cornfields, these in
furious insects become useful by de-
stroying all the pigeon grass growing
in the abandoned fields and upon the
route over which they pass. IS
When we consider the life history
sketched above, we find that prac-
teal person will be very apt to dis
cover some habits that could be
utilized to kill large numbers of this
pest. Considering the fact that these
bugs find shelter under all sorts OF
rubbish, leaves, etc., it appears as
suredly feasible to attack them there
with good results. Clean farming,
then, is not only good, but an
excellent remedy against this
insect, and against many others. Let
every farmer do his share of the
work by not permitting any rubbish
to accumulate upon his farm. In our
usually dry autumns all rubbish will
burn we'll. Such material should be
raked togather in rows; they will not
be for shelters, and as they surely will
not be slow to appropriate them for
winter quarters. Later, rubbish and
bugs can be disposed of by fire. This
work should include the clearing and
cleaning of the edges of the woods, of
fences and fence corners, of haystacks
and straw-stacks, of windbrea ks; in
fact, no rubbish should be permitted
to remain upon the farm; and no rub
bish means no shelter for the bugs.
Besides this all the taller grass should
be burned over; in fact, let the fire be
anywhere and everywhere excepting
where it might be dangerous. This
burning of dead foliage upon fields,
meadows and prairies in formers
times accounted, to great extent, for
the absence CT many injurious insects
at present only too common.
| We know that chinch-bugs prefer
certain plants and dislike others; they
| :11oA, g. ..,nAc~oo Il