The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-11-01


oey Compiled by r. /. Smith, State
Entomoogist.
Next to the Peach Borer, this is the
most troublesome boring insect at
lacking the peach in Georgia Dur
ing some seasons very little injury is
occasioned by this insect, but during
the season of 1905 reports came in to
the entomologist mainly during the
latter part Of June and throughout
tae month of July, from which it was
evident that the bark beetle was more
than usually abundant in the peach
orchards Several of these reported
cases were investigated by a member
of this department, with the result
that we became convinced of the I'M
usual numbers of this insect. While
the actual damage to healthy trees
was not as great as mGny fruit grow
ers were led to suppose, the appear
ance of these beetles in great num-
bers caused considerable alarm, which
might easily have been avoided had
the true habits and life-bistory been
known Hence, a somewhat extensive
description is deemed advisable.
HistoricaI-This insect is a native
European species. In the United
States it was first noticed in 1877 in
New York, where it was attacking tle
peach. No doubt many other localities
were infested at the same period
though not then discovered 1t has
now been found in all the Eastern
states and at least as far west as Kan.
sas- This insect has been known to
injure the following fruits: Plum,
cherry, apricot, nectarine, apple, pear
and ounce, as we'll as the peach.
Habits and Nature of Injury: Early
writers usually neld to tne opinion that
the fruit-tree bark-beetie would not at
tack perfectly healthy trees and some
there are who will still assert that
the first writer's were correct. Their
statements, however, are not borne out
by observations made in Georgia peach
orchards, as many growers will bear
witness. F. H. Chittenden, writing in
1898, cites cases where this insect had
been known to attack apparently
healthy trees, where they adjoined old
and abandoned orchards, and j. NJ. Sted.
man states that he has seen peach
trees, which were to all appearances
perfectly healthy Seriously attacked
by the fruit-tree bark-beetle. The
writer has upon several occasions
found the bark-beetles boring into
sound, healthy trees. Two such OBJ
servatiC were made in Maryland in
1901-1e02, and in Georgia the same
thing has been observed several times.
The weight of evidence is conclu-
siVe, however. that the bark-beetles
first attack weakened aud dying trees,
but often when numerous, turn their
attack to trees which are apparently
in good health AS appropriately stat
ed by j. NJ. Stedman, 1T is very large
ly matter of opinion when one pro-
nounces a tree perfectly healthy that
has become infested with this pest,
but no doubt one should regard tree
as healthy when there is absolutely
no reason to suspect anything differ
ent except that it has now become at
tackled by this insect"
Description-Tn adult fruit-tree
bark beetle is a small cylindrical bee
tie, about one-eighth inch in length,
and only about one-third as broad
They are uniformly black in color
except the tips of the elytra or wing
covers and portion of the legs, which
are dull red. The young borer or
grub-less than onefourth inch in
lengths white, except for the brown
head.
Winter Stage and Life History-The
winter is passed by this insect in the
larval or grub stage in their channels
under the bark. In spring, about the
middle or latter part of March, the
parent beetles eat their way out from
under the bark, making little holes
scarcely one-sixteenth of an inch in di-
ameter. These parent beetles soon
commence to bore into the trees, and
begin the construction of an egg cham
Der which is nearly always formed in
the direction of the long axis of the
limb, or nearly so. They seem to pre-
fer ~ enter at the base of the limbs,
or at the forks made by the lateral
spurs, and OFTEN at the base of buds
near the extremeties of the small
branches. The beetles are frequently
found, on badly infested trees, enter
ing the trunk nearly to the base of the
trees. The egg chamber Is formed
partly in the cambium layer and part
ly in the wood directly beneath. The