The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-11-09
Grain Meevil Abundant.

There has been considerable in
quiry, at the office of the Division
of Zoology, of the Department of
Agriculture. Harrisburg, Pa, for in
formation concerning the destruction
of weevil in grain.
To one of the numerous inquirers,
Prof. II. A. Surface, State Zoologist,
replied as follows:
Your inquiry concerning the de-
destruction of weevil in wheat comes
at very opportune time, because it
is easy to destroy these pests when
one knows how, and it is very inn
portant that they be destroyed now
rather than in the spring after they
have accomplished a great deal cd
damage.
The weevil is among the worst
pests in grain bins or stored grain,
and effects the destruction of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars annu-
ally in the state of Pennsylvania
alone. 1t must not be presumed for
minute, however, that 1t or any
other pest is any worse in this state
than elsewhere. 1t lives by laying
eggs in the grains, and from these
eggs hatch larvae or minute grubs,
which feed within the seeds, eIca-
waiting them to merely hollow shells
of bran. The presence of many of
the larvae feeding at once often
causes the grain to heat by their
mechanical irritation or gnawing,
Just as two sticks are heated by rub
bing them together. When grain
becomes warm in the bin, it is often
to be taken as an indication of the
presence of weevil or the Angou-
mois Grain Moth, which is a moth
UhnCn cir,ni1or hahitc
and it is likewise a very serious pest
of stored grain in this part of the
country.
THE remedy consists of putting
the infested grain into a bin that can
be so tightly closed as to be almost, |
IL not practically, air-tight, or put |
ting it into large box, hogshead, or
some other vessel, which can be !
thoroughly covered. Then set shall
low vessels like pie tins on the
grain. and for each one hundred |
cubic feet of space, or for each one
hundred bushels of grain, pour into |
the pie tins pound of the liquid
known as carbon bisulfde. Lay
sticks over the pie tins containing
the carbon bisulfide, and spread over
them wet blankets. Heavy blankets |
should be used for this purpose. |
They are dipped into water to make |
them more nearly air-tight, to keep |
down the gases or fumes from the |
carbon bisulfde. This liquid is a |
foul-smelling liquid, whose fumes
are poisonous but not instantly dead
ly. One can breathe it without i'm
mediate injury, although it is very
offensive. These fumes are inflam-
mable or explosive, the same as
those OF benzine or gasoline, and,
consequently, fire should be kept
away from them. Two or three
thicknesses of wet blankets laid over
the top of the grain will be sufficient
to keep the fumes down, and prevent
ventilation until the pests are kill
ed. These fumes are heavier than
air, and will fall down through the
grain, killing all insects and even
mice should such be present, in the
bin or granary. They will not de-
stroy the milling property Of the
wheat nor its terminating powers for
seeding. This is the proper time of
year to treat the wheat, and thus
prevent the loss which will come
from carrying it in an infested con-
dition in the bin during the fall, win
ter and spring.
Let 1t remain covered for some
hours, and there will be no danger
from letting it remain many hours,
or even two or three days thus COW
cred. After at least five or six
hours or more, the covers can be re-
moved, and hung to dry, although
no special ventilation of the grain
bin or vessel is necessary. The
chief point is, to avoid breathing the
fumes any more than one is COM
PEELED to do, and keep fire away from
them.
Concerning your particular case,
there is little more to be added.
Treat your last years wheat in the
granary thoroughly by this fumiga-
tion, and kill the pests, and you
will not be obliged to remove it, or
if you wish to remove it to store
somewhere else, you can do this
with the full knowledge that the
pests will not be present, and be
passed from it to the newly thresh-
ed wheat. If, however, you do not
intend to treat it, you should get rid
of it at once. Clean it up and sell
1t, or otherwise get it out OF the
granary, and away from the building
where you intend to store your un-
threshed wheat.
Il would not recommend putting
the wheat in old bins in which there
is little old wheat left Sweep out
these bins, dust them down, and
roast the sweepings in an oven to
kill the insects Then feed the
grain to the chickens. After the
bin is cleaned and swept, you can
store the new grain in It, but, as
said above, in order to kill the pests
that may even now be in the grain,
/ would recommend fumigating with
kA l.,
placed in the bin"