The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-04-09
THE BLACK GRAIN wEEvIL.
An Insect That Does Damage to Stored Grain
Described and Means of Preventing This
Damage GiYan.

OdudSo O4N6us
Correspondence fThe Progressive Farmer.
A reader of The Progressive Far
mer sends u sample of wheat infested
with weevil, with this statement:
Il send you by this mail wheat
pest that has damaged, if not ruined,
thousands of bushels of wheat in
this county in the last six months.
We have had the things before, but
never in such numbers. Ihad s Jme.
thing over 500 bushels in one house,
put up in bins of from so to rs BUSH
els in bin. All but one bin has
been more or less damaged"
The black grain weeviI (SGLGndrG
Oryz9) is native of Europe, but has
spread to all parts OF the world as
result of the commerce in food Stuffs.
1t Is nov found in every State of the
Union, Alaska, and Canaua. 1t was
originally known as the rice weevil,
but as 1t attacks other grains as well
as rice, the name here given Is now
coming into use, and seems to US to
De more appI o pirate. The adult In
sect Is u small, dark brown, snOut
beetle, belonging tJ the same natural
family with the bug, that Is now
such u pest To corn in the eastern
part of this State A letter received
yesterday, states that svme farmers
In the eastern part OF the State be
heve that this grain weevil In the
barns Is the young of the blll-bug,
and VIII take ID the corn fields when
the corn comes up. This Is entirely
erroneous, and in an article IN Tne
Progressive FARMER short time ago,
we explained that with beetles, ali
growth Is accomplished while the IN
sect Is in the grub stage Ii the bill
bug and the grain weevll were the
same, the problem OF their control
would be easy enough, for this weevll
that lnfests the grain in the barns Is
very easy to manage. We will come
/ to that IN mOmt Mt.
| The female beetle bOres a little
/ hole into the kernel with her snOut,
and in the punctuTe, she deposits an
| egg This matches into d grub, which
when full gro Nn, is about one eighth
of an inch long, and of white color.
1t is thlck and clumsy, and without
limbs of any description. Indeed, 1t
~ L, 2 90 ~
this stage, as it lives in the kernel,
and Is thus entirely surrounded by
an Oundant supply of food. This Is
d curious and interesting illustration
of how the habits of an insect may
affect its structure. In most cases,
those grubS and caterpillars which
surrounded by their food, are with
out limbs, and consequently with
very limited powers of lOcOmOtiOn.
Familiar examples of this are the
grub of the plum cuTculiO, and the
round headed and fat-headed apple
borers. These same insects have
as they must then seek their mates,
and deposit eggs.
After attaining full growth, the
grub of the grain weevil transforms
to the pupa stage, u state of the in
sect that was describe d in an article
in this paper short time agO. This
stage lasts for week or more, when
the adult emerges-
The samples of infested grain at
this office have been of wheat, but
the insect is more fond of corn.
REMEDY.
Have the grain in tight bin and
trent it with carbon bi sulphide
This i very y-foul smelling liquid
which eva 3Orates rapidly, and Is
deadly to the insects. 1t may be
purchased from druggists at about
Is cents per pound. ltmay be thrown
directly on the grain, but If the BIN
is large, it should be thrown on IN
several places, so that 1T will MT be
all in one place. Use ~ tablespoons
full to each 100 pounds of grain TO
be treated, and cover the bin with d
niece of canvass or a heavy blanket
As the fumes are heavier than air,
they will sink, permeatlng through
the wheat, and destroying the In
sects.
This is the universal remedy for
insects affecting stored grains, but
there ia one caution that must be OBJ