The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-04
KANSAS NEWS.
Wheat Worm Does Damage in
Certain Fields.
Its Coming and Going a Mystery
to Many Farmers.
ARE NOTHING NEW.
A History Of the Pest Given by
Supt. Haney
Of the Branch Experimenting
Station, at Hays.
ARE NOTHING NEW.

Hays, July 4.-Superintendent ]. G.
Haney, of the branch experimenting
station here saws.
1.-The wheat worm, so-called, that has
done much damage in many parts of
the wheat region this summer, seems TO
be mystery to many. The worms ap-
peared about the time the wheat began
to head, and have apparently remained
until the wheat has gone into stock
The damage by these worms is done by
them crawling up the stalks and eat
ing out the kernels AS the wheat
ripens and the grain hardens, the
worms may only eat off the chaH, thus
allowing the grain to drop out.
These worms, or strictly speaking
caterpillars, are not anything new; they
have appeared before and will doubt
less be seen again. Entomologically
classed, they are of the order Lepidop-
terra of which there are over 5000 spec
les in America, north of Mexico. The
caterpfllars above referred to, belong
to the family Noctuidae, so called be-
cause the adults which are commonly
called millers are usually seen flying
about in the. evening after or about
dusk. There are over 1900 species of
this family alone in our country. 1t
includes a great many of our most
troublesome caterpillars, such as the
army worm, cut worm, cabbage worm.
corn worm. apple worm, etc.
"As there have been several species
observed to attack the wheat. it is not
but they closely resemble, some of
them, the army worm. However, they
all have the same habits. These worms
that are now, or have been botherlng
the wheat when they have become full
grown, burrow into the ground an inch
or so, and prepare winter quarters.
They excavate a small cell, excrete a
cement that makes this waterproof TO
some extent, and then make a cocoon,
or papery sack in which they encaSe
Themselves During the time thew
spend in this cocoon, or pupa case,
they change from the caterpillar to a
miller, which energies next spring to
lay a supply of eggs in the wheat from
which new lot Of worms or caterpil-
lars is Matched.
Some of these species do not get
their full growth the first summer, so
the worm lives over and begins work
early again the next spring. The cut
worm is an example of one of these.
THE life history, and an observation
of the work of these pests will doubt
less suggest means of combating them.
The wheat that was drilled in stubb1e
was attacked very much more than
that planted on plowed land. Flowing
the ground throws the pupas out and
breaks them up so that they are de-
stroyed. Carefully fall blowing all the
land infected is the most successful
method Of combating. The adults US
ually deposit their eggs near where they
have passed the winter. but some OF
them may be blown to other heldS at
some distance. Another means Of less
ening the damage done by them is to
rotate the crops. 1t is very seldom
that the same species of worms will do
damage to two different crops. DIR.
Henry Wallace of Wallace's Farmer,
says that these pests of bugs, worms,
and weeds are Gods warning that we
must not deplete the soil by growing
continually, year after year, the same
crops on the same land Rotate the
crops. or we will be rotated off the
land"