The copper era., 1907-03-28
Suggestions for the Control Of the Cod
ling Moth.

Arizona, numerous letters have been
received from small fruit growers
asking for a description of it, to-
gether with methods of combating it.
In the beginning it may be well to
state that when once the codling
moth has secured a hold in locality
it has never been known to be wholly
eradicated. even with the most care
full measures, cor to disappear as a
result of climatic conditions or other
natural causes, though the latter as
sist very much in holding it in check.
Life history and description of the
codling moth: The apple grower
should be familiar with the various
stages in the life history of this in
sect, in order to understand the
principles underlying the methods of
control, as also to be able to adapt
the treatment to local conditions and
seasonal variations. The codling
moth winters over in a larval or
worm stage in small silken cocoons in
holes and cracks about apple tree
trunks, under flakes of bark, splin-
tiers of fence boards or posts. in or
about apple houses or dwellings in
orchards; also, among piles of waste
apples, weeds, paper, rags and other
rubbish. In the spring these larvae
change to pupae and emerge as
moths, for the most part two or three
weeks after apple trees have bios
somed.
The moth varies somewhat in size,
being about three-eights of an inch
in length. It's front wings are brown
ish in color and crossed with gray
lines so as to resemble a piece of
brown watered silk; at the tips there
is definite brown spot marked with
bronze or golden lines. The hind
wings are grayish brown.
The eggs, which are laid both on
the leaves and the fruit, are about
the size. of a pin-head, pearl-white in
shape. In six to twelve days, &C
cording to the temperature, the eggs
hatch, and the young larvae begin to
feed on the leaves and the young
fruit. About eighty per cent. of
these very soon find their way to the
partially closed calyx of the young
fruit where they feed for a time,
ultimately eating to the center of
the apple. The remaining twenty
per cent. of worms enter apples from
the sides. These worms live in the
fruit about twenty days, becoming in
the meantime fully developed, when
they are fve-eights of an inch in
length and white, or pinkish, in
color.
At this time they leave the fruits
to seek hiding places already noted,
in which to spin cocoons and pupate.
These worms now change into pupae
which emerge from the cocoon about
twenty days from the time it was
spun, and from which develop an
other generation of moths. These
in turn lay eggs from which develop
the second generation of larvae.
This second brood of larvae enter
the fruit tor the most part from the
sides. Such, in brief, is the life his
tory of the codling moth which, on
an average, extends over period of
fifty days. On account of our warm
summer temperatures, we may expect
two generations of the insect, and,
perhaps, partial third one each
year. Unfortuna tely, these broods
l., I'll
less continuous succession of worms
from the first and second generations
entering the fruit for considerable
portion of the season. This compli-
Gates very much the matter of spray
ing, and results in some worm-eate
apples, even with the most careful
work.
The use of bands: Bands are fire.
quently placed about trunks of fruit
trees to afford a good place for the
full-grown larvae, as they crawl
down, to spin their cocoons. Strips
of burlap, gunny-sacking, or other
dark colored material, ten or twelve
inches wide and folded once length
wise are used for this purpose; these
are held in place on the tree by
means of a small nail having its head
nipped off, driven about halfway in
at a slight angle. Bands should be
put on trees by the first of June and
examined every ten days until about
the first of September, all worms and
cocoons in the meantime being de-
stroyed. After September l, few or
no worms in Cocoons will be found
changing into pupae, and hence these
=. cocoons need not be destroyed until
the close of the season. In order to
use bands successfully, all flakes of
bark from the trunk and large limbs
must be scraped off; otherwise,
worms will spin their cocoons under
them. In addition to keeping tree
trunks clean, all decaying fruit
dead limbs and trunks, weeds and
other miscellaneous trash should be
promptly removed and destroyed
While bands are valuable adjunct
to spraying, they cannot take its
place.
Spraying the most efficient treat,
ment; Spraying with some arsenica1