The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1895-11-09
THE WICKED WEEVn.
Gncle San, to Try to Stamp Out the Insect
Gra.n-Destroyer.

Gra.n-Destroyer.
The ne, nieious weevils are making
themselves so obnoxious in this country
hat experts of the Department Of Agri-
culture are now engaged in making
snecial study of them. Every year they
lastroy many millions OF dollars worth
If stored cereals in granaries and e!e-
vatOrs. In fact, the question how &c
irht them is one OF serious and growing
economic Importance. Strange to say.
,-erv little scientific attention has beer
directed TO these insects Up TO date, and
,ot much is known about them. l. Is
ceckoned that tley cause an annual
,ss Of over 81, BO0, 000 in Texas alone, ili!t;
IN 1893 the corn crop OF Alabama was
'ar1aced by them 10 the extent OF 81
10 coo.
There are about forty species OF these
insects. some Of which are beetles and
others moths. Nearly al! of them are
assisted immigrants, having been i'm
ported from abroad in cargoes of grain.
IN this manner they have been distrlb-
ated by commerce to all parts Oh tle
world.
Three of the species actually live in
he kernels, while the others feed Oh the
them is unfit for human consumption.
and has been known TO cause serious ILL
ress 1t is poisonous to horses. and is
not Wholesome even for swine. Poui-
t1y, however, find it palateable and nu-
tritious. The moths especially are >
prolific that the progeny OF single pair
in a twelve-month will number many
thousands, capable OF destroying sew
.ral tons of grain. Fortunately. the in
crease OF these pests is checked to some
extent by natural enemies, among
which are spiders that inhabit mills and
-ranaries. III the fields they are preyeo
.pon by birds and bats.
One of the worst Of these insects Is
The familiar "granary weevil." which is
mentioned in the Georges Of Virgil
lis ravages made it known long before
the Christian era. 1t is native to the
region of the Mediterranean. Having
been domesticated for SO long time. 1t
has lost the use Of its wings. The
female punctures the kernel with her
-nout and inserts an egg from which is
matched a little worm that lives In the
null and feeds on the starchy interior.
Quite as bad as this beetle is moth
that comes from the Mediterranean re-
81
ii the United States as the "fy weevil >"
Goes most injury to corn and wheat. In
six months grain infested by it loses 40
per cent in weight and Is per cent. of its
/ starchy matter. Incidentally, it is rem
tered totally unfit for food, and bread
made from wheat infested by the insect
| is said to have caused an epidemic re-
Gently in France. The pest was noticed
= No oylyr
Another wicked imported bug is the
rice weevil." 1t originated in India,
whence it has been distributed by COM
merce all over the world. At present it
does AS much harm as any other known
insect. being a serious pest in the South
ern States. In the tropics generally it
does enormous damage. Formerly,
when long voyages were necessary in
importing grain from the East. it fire.
Quently destroyed whole cargoes. hav-
ing plenty Of time to multiply. The adult
beetles of this species cause much trou-
BILE in storehouses and groceries by in
vading boxes of crackers. cakes. yeast
cakes and macaroni and barrels and
bins Of flour and meal. They can sub
sist for months on sugar, and some
times they burrow into ripening peaches
and grapes.
A new grain-destroyer has recently
attracted attention in this country. and
has earned for itself the title of ''scourge
of the hour mill" 1t is the "Mediter-
raneau -four moth" The caterpillars
spin webs which make this -four clothed
and lumpy. so that the machinery in
the mills becomes clogged and has to be
stopped for considerable time. The
h,yt fhau
flourish also on bran. prepared cereal
foods and crackers.
This subject is considered Of such i'm
nortance that much space will be
devoted to it in the forthcoming Year
Book Of the Department of Agriculture.
The remarks made therein are based
upon recent study OF weevils and their
habits by Mr. F. H Chittenden, of the
Bureau Of Entomology. Farmers are
informed that the best remedy for such
mischief is bisulphide Of carbon. which
may be applied in moderately tight bins
by simply pouring the liquid into shall
low pans or on bits of cotton waste and
distributing them about on the surface
Of the grain.
The stuff rapidly evaporates. and the
vapor. being heavier than air, descends
ttiiu pei the iIldSS OI grain. XIII.
ing all insects as we'll as rats and mice
which it may contain.
In France a number Of machines have
been devised for the treatment Of in
tested grain. Into these the grain is
poured and either revolved while ex-
posed to heat or subjected to a violent
agitation. which kills the insects. FIRE.
quent handling of grain by shovelling,
stirring or transferring from one recep-
tacle to another is destructive to the
moths. as they are unable to extricate
themselves from the mass and perish in
the attempt. The practice of storing
grain in large bulk is also recommended.
as the surface layers only become in
tested. Natives in India store their
wheat in alright pits to preserve it
from the rice weevil. and condemn ven
tilation. In Europe and America. on
the other hand, ventilation is practised
with decided benefit