Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-12-06

The rottonN maple scale Is a rather
nno pest on soft maple and SOM
other trees. especially those which are
planted in parks and along the streets
for shade and ornamental purposes. 1t
belongs To n group of very muCh Spe-
cialized insects which have 4 habit of
Spending II very largo portion of their
lives attached 10 one place ON the
plant on which they live. During ihe
greater portion of their existence they
are covered with "A shell OF greater or
less hardness. which often resembles
very closely the surface of the food
PLANT. Owing to these characteristics
and the fact thai they look SO little like
insects. they are commonly overlooked
by all except those who are making a
Speciality of studying them. III injury
is done while the insect is taking it's
food. To do this il thrustS hairlike
bristles from its mouth into the plant
tissues and draws out the SAY
The cottony maple scale has attracted
considerable attention during the past
few years on account of Its unusual
abundance and the injury il has caused
in :; number of widely separated locali-
ties. 1t is found throughout the mid
ale zones of states in the eastern por-
ton of the country and in many of
The far western states. 1t is d native
OF this continent and has long been
widely distributed. Ordinarily il does
little injury because the numbers are
too small. being kept i'm check by it's
natural enemies. Sometimes these fail
for some reason to perform their useful
offices and the scale increases in mar
NelouS numbers.
The adult form OF tho insect is most
easily recognized during May and June
when it secrets a white %cottony mass
of wax about the size of Il pea from
| under the scale. These masses appear
NJ VIZ .rto AVID cp,.1 lfv,l,e Thn,-
may range. in numbers from Il few scat
tering individuals to where the under
sides of the limbs are nearly covered
with them. The masses al his time
are more commonly found on the lower
limbs and most often on the under
SiueS OF these. In the center of the
fluffy masses the insects lay several
hundred tiny oval nearly white eggs
ard then die. The egg laying continues
with different insects from the latter
part of Man till about the first of
July. The eggs hatch in June and July
and the tiny young soon find their way
to tho leaves and begin to feed. Most
often they settle on The under sides
sear the veins. but they are sometimes
found on the upper sides and even the
young tender shoots. Here they live
1urinE the summer without changing
their position. II IL during this season
that the injury is done to the leaves.
~ OI N'sSI tcu NOiNOiIy SUN
cling TO the limbs and are sometimes
20 be found there for more than n year
after they We're formed. They, of
course. do no injury. In August and
September the male scales develop into
.iny winged insects. but they o aft
erward die.
The females renlain on the leaves UNI
ii, October and then migrate back 10
he twigs and limbs. All this time they
are II little over Il sixteenth of AN inch
In length. They fasten themselves for
the last time. usually lengthwise the
tWig. and more often than not OH the
Snder side of ii. During this fall migra-
tion a great many are lost by clinging
to the falling leaves and otherwise fail
Ing to secure good ALTERNATING places
Throughout the winter the scales
M be found in this position and dur
ing this time they take but little II any
NOuriShment.
As o az the sap begins to flow ir
me spring they begin to grow. Their
color is almost exactly that OF the
bark and they escape unnoticed. BY
the latter part OF May or early in June
they are full grown and measure abou,
three-siXteenth of AL inch across. Th,
waxy mass is secreted from the undo
sides and this gradually raises the in.
sect until it stands AT an angle of sixty
degrees or more 10 the twig on which
it rests.
AS already stated the insect
does most injury to soft maple
trees. but ii Is also sometimes very
abundant on black locust and Virgins;
creeper. Nearly fifty food plants ar,
known. but commonly only the one:
mentioned viii be 50 badly Infested u.
40 need treatment.
Remedies.
The scale is so well protected nj mos
stages of its life that il is very hard t.
Kill without injury to the tree. Yh'
best time is during the winter Will
the trees are in n dormant condition
An insecticide can then be used whicl