Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-14
WARNING AGAINST MOTHS
Lawrence Bruner Says Beware Gypsy
and Browntails.
DANGER FROM THEM IN WEST
state E~ntOmoIoEist Says IL 10 Wrong
60 Think These Pests Never
Come TO This Sec
ton.


Beware the gypsy and brown-tail mothsi
Lawrence Bruner, state entomologist,
sounds the note of warning and tells the
people Of Nebraska the theory that the
pests would ever come farther west than
the New England States As all wrong.
The state entomologist has prepared n
statement about the moths, including cor
respondence had with the federal authori-
ties on the matter and gives this caution
to the people of Nebraska:
while eastern papers have been full
of accounts OF both the brown-tail and
gypsy moths for several years, Il never &C.
cured TO the western readers Of these pa
pers that the slightest danger existed of
their ever being introduced into regions
west Of the New England states. Since the
first Of the present year. however, the
occasion for alarm has come in connection
with both species. EARLY in January the
inspectors Of New York City discovered
numbers Of the winter pests Of the brown
tail moth among shipments OF nursery
stock that was arriving in this country
from near Anglers, France. At least 1000
cases of such nursery stock was known
to be arriving in the country for various
nurserymen throughout the United States.
ANoAiNtH WtIt dCtOIuinbly. at OnCe HdllbO
to the entomologists of the various states
so as to put them on their guard and there
by prevent, If possible. a general spread
Of the pest.
Cluster Of Eggs.
'"whlle inspecting some Of this imported
stock In Ohio recently for brown-tail moths
one OF the inspectors of that state came
across a cluster OF gypsy moth eggs. show
ing that this insect also is again being in
troduced from Europe--thls time into terri
tory west of the Ohio rivera long ways
beyond where II has been known heretofore.
wishing to obtain a little recent authori-
tative information regarding these two in
sects the writer corresponded with the
United States entomologist who asked one
of his men, who is located In Massachusetts
to reply. The following quotation from
his letter will give sufficient data to satisfy
the most fastidious as to the dangerous
nature of both pests.
The brown-tail moth does not COM
monty kill the trees upon which the
caterpillars feed, but the stripping of the
leaves from fruit trees leaves the fruit
exposed so that 1t either drops off or is
burned by the sun so that 1t is of no
use. / nave seen forest trees supposed
to have been killed by the brown-tail
moth, but the appearance is not common.
1t Is, however. a serious pest to human
ity, the poisonous hairs from the cater
pillars causing an itching rash. During
the season when the caterpillars feed,
clothing hung out TO dry, particularly
underclothing, catches the hairs, and
when put on the body Is affected all
over. There are occasionally people who
are immune from this rash, just as some
are immune from poison ivy or oak. 1
think the particular financial damage is
the effect upon the value of real estate
Infested by the brown-tail moth.
Does Great Deal of damage
'"The gypsy moth does do a great deal
of damage the oaterpillars feeding upon
almost everything in the shape of vege-
tation. There are several tracts of wood
land in the vicinity of Boston which have
been killed by the feeding of the cater
pillars.
II have seen orchards cut down because
the owners felt that they could not bear
the expense of continually fighting the
pests. These moths also cause consider
able damage in the way of depreciation
OF real estate in many sections. The
value of farms is affected because most
of our New England farms have more or
less woodland, and where the woodland is
infested II is difficult TO dispose of,
for the reason that the pest must be con-
stantly fought II the trees are 20 be
saved. 1 have never seen any estimate
of the damage done by these pests, but
they can make any section where tn ere
are trees almost uninhabitable.
I'm regard to expenditures In fighting
the Gypsy and Browntail moths would
say that in the state OF Massachusetts
there was expended last year 1915, 900, state
appropriation; $4,000 by cities and towns,