Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-07-07
APPLE TREE r &
The Borer "at Home" In the Tree.
Prevention and Expulsion.

Prevention and Expulsion.
BY w. STUART. Vermont Experiment
Station.
Borers are serious pests throughout
the apple farming sections. An un-
usual opportunity having arisen for
observations upon the round headed
type, the writer deems ii worth while
to make some brief statements as to
their nature and the means of combat.
ing them.
Any tree In which a borer passes its
larval life is much the worse for II.
and when, as sometimes happens, eight
or ten make a tree their abiding place
Its usefulness Is past. The eggs are
laid In Sits In the green bark Of the
trunk OF the tree at or near the surface
of the ground. They may be deposited
as high as eighteen inches, but usually
are found near the base. They are
probably deposited In this latitude
from the middle Of June to the latter
part Of August. The egg soon matches,
and the young larya begins at once TO
gnaw It's way through the inner bark
and camblum layer. IN the approach
of winter 1t tunnels its way down the
trunk Of the tree below the surface OF
the ground.
With the advent of spring the borer
ascends and passes the summer in the
sap wood. The second winter Is passed
In a similar n TO that OF b first.
The third season the larva again as
cends and bores or gnaws its way into
A. hz,c .,~1y 90 Tho troxa anx1 IL, oil
directions. Toward the close OF the
season 1t gnaws its way upward and
outward to the bark of the tree, after
which IT withdraws into its burrow.
incases itself with the castings Of wood
and soon enters into the pupal stage
Of it's existence. Early In the next
June it cuts its way out, emerges as
q mature beetle, the female deposits
its eggs and the life cycle is completed.
Measures looking toward the proven
ton of the borers are Of two classes.
They look either to the exclusion or
the repulsion Of the insect. 1t Is either
shut away or turned away from the
tree trunk.
Exclusion.-This method OF combat
ing the borers seems to the writer to
be the more hopeful IL the work is
carefully done. Various materials may
be used for wrapping the trunk, such
as heavy wrapping paper, manila pa
per, tar paper or fine wire screen.
Their efficacy Is entirely dependent on
the care and skill with which they are
put On. To be effective they must fit
sufficiently close to the trunk and come
up high enough to prevent the beetle
from depositing its eggs. The material
used in fastening the wrappers should
be such as is easily broken by the
growth expansion of the tree. The en-
ployment of tar paper or n wire net
ting serves the double purpose Of *
GLIDING insects and protecting the
trunks from injury by mice. rabbits or
other small rodents.
Repulsion.-The application to the
tree trunk of some caustic or Ill smell
ing compound serves to repel the borer
In proportion to the ~thoroughness with
which il is used and the persistency Of
the retention. Most Of the washes en-
ployed are of an alkaline nature, con-
sisting of soaps OF lyes, caustic In their
action, to which frequently enough
carbolic acid Is added to give an often
sive odor. Quite recently painting the
tree trunks with pure white lead and
linseed oil has been highly recommend
ed by Atwood of the Virginia station
as being an effective repellent of the
round headed apple tree borer.
Remedies.-After the larva has en-
tered the tree there is practically but
one thing to do. 1t must be dug out.
A strong bladed knife and a rather
strong. flexible wire are the only tools
required. 1t is usually stated that 1t Is
sufficient to go over the trees twice
yearly, IN May and September. The
writer recommends that In badly In
Tested orchards, at least, a further IN
spectfon be made In July. Many Of the
newly laid eggs could then be de-
stroyed. The presence Of the young
iarva In the tree Is usually easily de-
tected. since they lie near the surface
and generally cause a light flow Of sap
from the wounded tissue.