Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1903-12-30
THE WHITE FLY,
tis Occurrence and Damage The
Life Round-Remedics

TITS Occurrence and Damage - The
Life Round-Remedics
For many years the white fly has been
known to infest the orange trees Of
Florida and Louisiana and also to be a
common pest on the orange In green
houses. 1t has been found also on a
number Of plants other than orange,
such as vlburnum, cape jasmine and
the aquatic oak of the south. G. L.
Marlatt further says The white fly Is
limited economically to the citrus plant
lngs Of Florida and the gulf region. 1t
Is distributed widely In greenhouses
and has undoubtedly been carried to
California, but has never gained a foot
hold there out Of doors. The dry. hot
season Of California probably accounts
for this. The damage caused by Il is
greatly increased by the secretion I'm the
larval mage Of a honey dew similar to
that secreted by the true scale insects.
This Is In enormous amount, and the
sooty mold which develops in it fire.
quently covers the entire upper surface
Of the leaves and produces very serious
effects on the vitality of the plant. The
fruit does not ripen properly, is def
Client In quality and size and keeps poor
~, involving. in addition, the expense
Of washing before it can be marketed.
Thc Life Round OF the Insect.
The life round Of the insect, briefly.
Is as follows: The winter is passed in
the mature larval stage as thin, clip
tical, scalelke object on the under sides
Of the leaves. Early in the spring the
transformation to the pupal stage oc-
ours, this stage differing but slightly
from the larval I'm appearance. The |
adults begin to appear by the middle |
OF March ana continue to emerge |
through April. The eggs deposited by |
this brood require about three weeks |
for development, Matching into larvae
from the middle of April to the LIST OF |
May. The adults Of the second brood |
begin to emerge by the middle Of June
and continue to appear until the middle
OF July. Between the middle of July
and the middle Of September third
brood Is developed, the larvp OF which.
about the last of October car
ry the insect through the winter. The
number of eggs laid by single female
Is In the neighborhood Of twenty-five.
and they are placed by preference upon
new leaves, but all Of the plant is tax
IN when the multiplication OF the insect
makes 1t necessary. The young larva
s active, resembling closely the larva
" true scale Insect. The life Of the
ldult ranges from ten to twenty days.
Satisfactory Remedies.
The most satisfactory remedies for
he white fly. as demonstrated by
lessrs. Swingle and Weber, are kero.
ene and rosln washes. The treat
nents may best be made during the
winter between December and March
md again if necessary i'm May and also
u August or early in September. Two
n three applications may be made in
he winter. TIE application in August
made If the sooty mold Is found to
e spreading to the fruit. Since the in.
ect lives on the undersides Of the
caves almost exclusively, 1t is Of prime
Importance that the under surface be
wetted with the spray, and
Is necessary that the tree be opened
p by pruning. Fumigation with n.y.
rocyanic acid gas is also ready j
leans of destroying this insect 1t is
kept more or less in check
Y parasitic and predaceOus enemies
nd is subject TO attack by several fun.
Gus diseases. which may be of occa-
onal value In preventing its undue