The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-03-15
SPRING DESTRUCTION OF
TERRAPIN BUGS.
Annual Loss Caused by Them
Only Adult Bugs Survive the
Winter-When Egg Laying
Commensurate of Increase


Winter-When Egg Laying
Commemorative of Increase
How to Destroy.
The following has been sent
out from the North Carolina
Agricultural Experiment Station
at West Raleigh:
The annual loss caused by
terrapin bugs sucking the life out
of collards, cabbages, turnips and
and allied plants is difficult to
estimate accurately, but certain
ly amounts to thousands of dol
lars in North Carolina. A large
proportion of this loss may be
prevented if farmers, gardeners
and truckers will take the trou-
BILE to collect or in some way de-
stroy the bugs that first appear
this spring. We have conclusive
evidence that such work may be
made a paying investment. We
cannot, however, continue to
wait, as is usually done until the
bugs become so numerous as to
cause very noticeable injury in
gardens or fields, but on the con-
trary they must be destroyed be-
fore they commence to lay eggs;
otherwise the annual loss will
remain the same or will increase.
I'm November last this station
published a press bulletin urging
farmers to Immediately collect
and kill the terrapin bugs, then
in their fields, to prevent their
living in such numbers through
the winter. Now it seems ad.
visable to urge the equally
important work of destroying
those individuals that escaped
last fall, and which will soo1
commence to come out from theil
winter hiding quarters.
Eggs and young bugs do no
live through the winter in this
State; hence tits only full-grown
strong, adult males and female:
which survive by finding favor
able alternating quarters unde
rubbish around the gardens
under stones, in fence corner
and similar places, where the.
are protected from the weather
AS this has been a mild winter
they are liable to appear i
greater numbers than usual i
the spring.
1--WE could not consistent
urge the task of destroying tn
over wintering bugs if they com
menced to lay eggs upon thei
first appearance. Careful oh
J servation has shown that at leas
two weeks time elapses afte
the bugs appear before the frs
eggs are deposited. During thi
period tIey are very activel
feeding and mating, and tn
majority will congregate on tn
few old plants left from las
seasons crop. Wild mustar
and turnips are favorise foe
plants, and collards, with the
broad leaves, often harbor
large number Of them.
''The prime object of this a
ticle is to emphasize the fa'
that the farmer or gardener WI
watches closely for the first tie
rapin bugs to appear has abo1
two weeks time to kill them ar
still prevent the majority fro
laying eggs for the first gener
ton.
"Have you ever considered tt
actual benefit that results fro
killing one female terrapin b1
m when she first appears in sprin.
Observe the following stat
ments: The average number
eggs laid by each bug vari
- from eighty-four to ninety-six
that is, seven or eight masses
twelve eggs each, deposited ov
y a period of from four to eig
/ weeks. There are three f
generations each year. Syppe
~ we kill a single terrapin bdg a
thus prevent ninety-six you
for the first generation, of viii
one-half might be females.
these forty-eight females rep
duced at the same rate, the S
ond generation would num]
4,6O8 individuals. Counting OF
one-half as females, each ca
BILE of producing ninety
young, the third general
would reach the enormous nj
Der of 221, 1874, the progeny
one female in a single year.
can divide this number by
hundred and still have over
lc 200 as the number Of bugs +
~ vented by killing one indy
ual when she first appears.
During the warm sum-
. months minute pararite in
form of a tiny black fly destl
a large percentage of the e.
Y, but as a general thing Il
parasites do not become al
dant until the first generation
we'll developed; so that the
ar. struction of the bugs that
duce the first generation is n
essential than the death of
later in the year. Another Z
in favor of early destruction
"Are not the above facts
ficient to impress farmers
the importance of spring
-ES struction of terrapin bugs?
Hand Picking. This is r
ably the most valuable me