Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-08-12
T The TUSSOCK.MOTH
The Agricultural College Issues An Important
Bulletin Regarding This Pest.

r. II. Petit, entomologist of the ex-
pertinent station of the Michigan
Agricultural College. has issued the
following bulletin, which will be read
with interest by owners of ,shade.trees
and shrubs:
A close relation seems to exist in
Michigan between two enemies of park
and shade-trees, the tussock-moth and
the fall web-worm. Both feed on a
great variety of trees and shrubs, fruit
trees and ornamentals, and both do their
work at nearly the same time, the first
named being somewhat earlier.
The web-worm makes its work con-
spicuous by spinning large webs in the
branches of trees during the summer
and early fall. but the tussock-moth
does not produce any conspicuous nest
other than the cocoon in which it passes
the pupal stage.
The caterpillars of the tussock-moths
are very pretty objects, being yell
low with black longitudinal stripes
and brilliant red heads. The name is
suggested by the brush-like punches of
hair or tussocks, four of which are
cream-colored and adorn the anterior
part of the back. Two more are long
and black and project forward on each
side of the head. A single similar black
tuft projects backward from the tail.
The caterpillars sometimes reach the
length of two inches.
When full size is reached, the cater
pillar spins loose cocoon of gray silk,
weaving in the hairs from the skin, and
here it waits for few weeks. Finally
the adult moth comes forth. Strange to
say, the female is wingless. She has
legs and looks just like other moths or
millers with the wings cut off short.
The male is provided with wings just as
are the majority of moths and millers.
Fortunately the females are very poor
travellers and always lay their eggs on
he cocoon from which they have just
emerged. These eggs are small and
seed like, and are laid in fine lathery
froth which dries down and is easily
crumbled. Furthermore the cocoons are
usually placed quite openly, and the
Snow white egg-massess make them
quite conspicuous. The most effective
remedy in our cities and parks is to
gather the cocoons and burn them in
the autumn. Sometimes a small bounty
paid to school children yields enormous
returns.
AS before stated, the females are poor
travellers, but the catapillars crawl to
quite distance, and it has been found
practical to keep the caterpillars out of
individual trees, after picking off the
egg-masses and cocoons, by placing
strips of sticky fy-paper around the
trunks over a thin band of cotton,
which latter serves to fill the small in
CAPABILITIES of the bark. Tree-tanglefoot
or caterpillar. lime, or in fact any sticky
substance, which will turn back the
crawling vermin will serve the same
purpose.
OF course a spray of arsanate of lead,
applied while the caterpillars are at
work, will kill them. and on orchards
this is advised, but few house-owners
possess spraying apparatus of sufficient
capacity to successfully spray the tall
shade-trees on their premises and few
cities can protect their parks in this way
for the same reason. Thereto band
ing ana manipulating of the cocoons
have to suffice, and these usually prove
sufficient if conscientiously done.