The Elbert County tribune., 1907-09-19
THE COOLING MOTH, OR APPLE
WORM.
BY C. P. Gillette, M. s.

This pest causes heavier annual los,
to the apple crop than any other in
sect 1t is found In nearly every part
OF the world where apples are grown.
In the orchards Of Delta county, Colo
rado, 1t was for a number of years un.
known. 1t is now present in all the
orchard regions Of the state, unless 1t
be in some very limited and isolated
places. 1t Is not pest that we can
hope to exterminate. and orchardists
can not AFFORD to let it go unchecked.
Life Habits of the Insect-There
are two, and perhaps a partial third,
brood OF this insect in Colorado each
year. The moths of the first brood
begin to appear early in the spring,
and are ready to deposit their eggs in
the blossom ends of the small apples
as soon as the blossoms fall. The
moths do not all appear at once. SO
that the eggs Of the first brood are
distributed through several weeks. II
the weather is warm. the eggs will
hatch in about four or five days, and
the young larvae will begin to eat in
the blossom end of the apple and to
burrow their way to the core, about
which they feed until mature. When
mature, the larvae or worms eat a
large hole to the outside, and escape
to go in search of suitable place to
chrysalis, and, little later, to come
1rfh .<xt1, -
moths begins to appear about the first
week in July, and in a few days, like
the first brood. fly to apples or other
suitable fruit to deposit their eggs.
This time the eggs are often laid in
the stem end of the apple or upon any
rough spot where they will readily ad-
here. The habits of this brood are like
those of the first. The later individ-
uals do not leave the apples until they
have been barreled or put in winter
quarters. The winter is spent in the
worm state in some protected spot, as
between barrel slaves, under barrel
hoops, under scales of bark on apple
trees, etc. Early in the spring these
worms change to chrysalids, and lit
tie later appear as moths.
Remedies.-On account of the habit
of the larva in feeding for little time
in the blossom of the apple before bur-
rowing to the core, it has been found
that thorough spraying with London
purple or Paris green at the correct
| time will destroy about 20 per cent. of
them.
The proper time for spraying is i'm
mediately after the blossoms fall and
never before. To spray before the
blossoms fall is not only waste of time
and material, but will also be liable to
hot wi ha
ers for honey and pollen. If the spray
ing is much delayed, many Of the
worms will have already eaten their
way into the fruit and be out of the
reach of the poison. A second applica-
tion should be made in week or ten
days after the first. II heavy rains fall,
1t Is well to make the second applica-
tion as soon as possible afterward.
Should there be much rainfall follow
ing the first or second treatment with
in few days, it would pay to make a
third treatment, but otherwise not.
Care should be taken to throw the
spray so that 1t will strike the blossom
ends of the apples, and the treatment
should be thorough. 1t is best to stop
as soon as the leaves begin to drip.
In the eastern states it is usually
recommended to make the application
in the proportion of one pound Of poi
son to 200 gallons Of water. In the dry
atmosphere of Colorado have found it
very safe to apply in the proportion of
one pound to 100 gallons the first time.
The weaker mixture will do for the
second or third applications
A great many worms may be caught
and destroyed by tying bandages of
burlap or other cheap cloth about the
trunks of the trees. and removing
these once in week or ten days to
kill the worms that collect beneath
them. This work should begin about
the last week in June, and be contin-
ued until fall.
Where apples are kept in cellars. the
windows and doors should have
screens to prevent the escape of the
moths that hatch in the cellars. Care
should be taken not to take fruit bar
rels or boxes from storehouses or fruit
dealers to the farm unless they have
been thoroughly disinfected, they
often contain the larvae of the codling
moth in great numbers.