The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-06
SPRING DESTRUCTION OF TER
RAPIN RIGS

pertinent Station, has issued the fol-
lowing bulletin which is of vast i'm
portance to every farmer:
The annual loss caused by terra
pin bugs sucking the life out of col
lards, cabbages, turnips and allied
planst is difficult to estimate accur-
ately. but certainly amounts to thou
sands of dollars in North Carolina.
A large proportion of this loss may be
prevented if farmers, gardeners and
rucke will take the trouble to col
lect or in some way destroy the bugs
that first appear in the spring. We
have conclusive evidence that such
work may be made a paying invest
ment. 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 contrary they must
be destroyed before they
to lay eggs; otherwise the annual loss
will remain the same or will increase.
In November last this station pub
nshed a press bulletin urging farmers
to Immediately collect and kill the
terrapin bugs, then in~thei fields, to
prevent their living in such numbers
through the winter. Now it seems dd-
visable to urge the equally important
work Of destroying those individuals
that escaped last fall, and which will
soon commence to come out from
their winter hiding quarters.
Only Adult Bugs Survive the Winter.
Eggs and young bugs do not live
through the winter in this state;
hence it is only f~ull-grown, adult
males and females which survive by
finding favorable alternating quaretrS
under bbis around the gardens,
under stones, in fence corners and
similar places, where they are pro-
s tected from the weather. AS this has
been a mild winter. they are liable
to appear in greater numbers than
usual in the spring.
When Egg Laying Commences.
We could NOT consistently urge the
task of destroying the OVerWintering
bugs if they commenced to lay eggs
upon their first appearance. Careful
observation has shown that at least
two weeks time elapSeS after the bugs
appear before first eggs are deposit
ed. During his period they are very
actively feeding and mating, and the
majority will c~ongregate on the few
cid plants left from last seasons crop.
Wild mustard and turnips are favor
ite food plants. and coliardS. with
their broad leaves, often harbor q
large number of them.
The prime object of this article is
TO emphasize the fact that the farmer
or gardener who watches CLOSELY for
the first -terrapin bugs to appear has
about two weeks time to Kill them
and still prevent the majority from
having eggs for the first generation.
Rate Of Increase.
Have you ever considered the act
ual benefit that results from killing
one female terrapin bug when she
first appears in the spring? Observe
the following statements: h aver
age number of eggs laid by each bug
varies from eighty-four to nlnety-slN
that is, seven or eight masses OF
twelve eggs each, deposited over q
-. ~, ~ nirI 1-nn1-S
There are three full generations each
year. Suppos we kill a single
terrapin bug and thus prevent ninety
six young for the first generation, OF
which one-half might be females.
If these forty-eight females repro
duced at the same rate, the second
generation would number 4.60S indi-
viduals. Counting only one-haif as
females. each capable Of producing
ninety-six young, the third generator
would reach the enormous number OF
221,184, the progeny OF one female IT
number by one hundred anC still
have over 1900 as the number OF bugs
prevented by killing one individual
when she first appears.
During the warm summer months
a minute parasite in the form OF z
tiny black fly destroys a large per.
centage of the eggs, but as a genera
thing these parasites do not become
abundant until the first generation
is we'll developed; so that the destruc-
ton of the bugs that produce the frs
death Of bugs later in the year. An
other point in favor of early de
srtuctiOn!
Are not the above facts sufficient tt
impress rme with the importance
of spring destruction of terraplI
bugs?
How to Destroy Them.
Hand Picking.-This is probabl,
the most valuable method Of killing
bugs at any season Of the year. The
work can be done rapidly by children
The bugs are inclined to hide on cold
windy or dark days; SO that warm