The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-04-13
The Peach Tree Borer.


Of inquiries regarding the peach tree
borers-an insect that in one Of its
stages bores into the lower part OF the
stem Of the peach tree and which in so
operating does great deal Of harm.
The creature which thus appears Is
species of moth, Sannina exitiosa,
and the fact that it is so in possession
of the tree may be known by the large
quantities Of gum exuded. Every tree
thus affected should be suspected to be
in the service of this enemy.
The moth to be held responsible for
the business appears most numerous
ly in August and September" The
female is "of steel blue color, with
a bright yellow band about the middle
of the body. The male is of grayish
color.
Unlike most moths, both sexes have
the wings more or less transparent;
this gives them close resemblance
to certain wasps, and such Is especially
the case with the male. The re-
semblance is rendered all the more
striking by the fact that these moths
fly in the hottest days Of summer"
The mating and laying Of eggs may
be assumed to be in progress soon
after Ahe moths are about; the eggs
being as indicated, getting deposited
"on he trunks Of the trees at, or near,
the1surface of the ground Within q
week the eggs hatch into small white
caterpillars, which at once bore in
through the bark to eat out the inner
bark and sap-wood." Here they stay
until full grown, doing much damage
to the tree-in fact, killing thousands
of trees every year.
Most Of these borers reach full
growth in the spring after they are
hatched. They, the larvae, leave the
tree when they are full grown and spin
cocoons under the surface of the earth
and within an inch or two Of the stem
of the tree.
During theSsummer one may easily
find the cocoons by searching for them
in the gum and earth around the bases
Of the stems. They are little over an
inch in length, and are usually covered
with bits of dirt, chips and the like"
Soon the larvae becomes pupa, and
in two weeks the moth appears and
the life-story repeats itself.
How is this enemy Of the peach tree
most successfully fought? 1t is soon
after being hatched inside the bark,
and so is beyond the reach Of poisonous
applications by spraying. Experience
says that the moths must be kept from
the trees, for If not they will act in
accordance with their instincts, and
then the borers are to be destroyed
while they are in the trees.
This means that worming by hand
has to be done, and so with all the nee
essary care, if the object sought is to-
be really accomplished. In the present
part of the job the "earth Is removed
to a depth Of two or three inches. The
gum which is thus exposed Is scraped
away with a knife, and the injured
bark cut off at the burrows. In these
burrows the larvae must be found and
killed. They are stout bodied, with
distinct, brownish-yellow heads"
1t is necessary for desirable out
come that the person entering upon
this work should be instructed in every
detail. A stout knife is needed. Some
times it is found well "to have a short
piece Of strong wire by means Of which
the larvae are reached when they are
so deep in their burrows as to be out
of reach of the knife"
That no unnecessary work may be
done, it is to be noted that there are
certain very slender, white worms,
which are often found in the gum
oozing from the base Of injured trees"
These are not the larvae Of the peach
tree borer. The slender white worms
seen under these circumstances in no
way injure the trees. To give any
time to killing them is wasteful.
The peach tree borer may most ad-
vantageously be attacked any time dur
ing winter. The month Of March is
regarded by many as the best month
for the purpose. Some of the leading
growers of peaches prefer to worm
twice each year." They thus get many
of the borers before these have had
time to do much damage. This is, OF
course, an advantage, but If trees are
wormed once thoroughly each winter
and kept mounded during the summer,
one wormlng will usually be suf-
ficient."
Regarding the devices introduced to
prevent the moths from laying eggs, it
is thought that though there may be
merit among these devices, it yet is ad-
vised that the principal dependence
be still upon a thorough yearly sys-
tenn of worming by hand and mound
ing"
And now as to this moundfng part.
The instruction is that latter the trees
have been wormed in late winter, earth
should be banked up against the stems
to height of four or SIX inches above
the level of the ground.
"This compels the moths to lay their
eggs high on the trunks, where the
larvae can be reached when the time
comes for worming. About Thanksgiy-
ing Day the mound is removed, as all