Imperial Valley press., 1910-04-23
APHIS AND LADY BUGS
Pests Not Exterminsted by Bugs May Be Destroyed by Emulsion
 Sprays.

There is somewhat of a miscOncep- ton in the minds of many of the ranches of the valley regarding the lady bug beetle and it's effect upon the aphis, says w. E. Packard. The State Horticultural Board has collect ed millions of these insects in the Northern counties of this State, and has sent some 13,000,0OO to this valley with the hopes of introducing them in sufficient numbers so that they may propagate here and increase enough so that in a short time they would control the aphis. The num- Der imported, although large, can not begin to affect the aphis already here. These may increase sufficiently to be of value in the year to come for there is no doubt but the lady bug beetle is a bad enemy to the aphis.
 Probably a good many of the lady bugs imported will die before breed ing because of the sudden change in climate, and only those hardy enough to stand the change will thrive propagate and gradually increase. At present however, rancher who has melons, any garden stuff, or ornamen- tai plants should not depend upon the lady bugs, if he wants to save his present crop.
 There are other insects besides the lady bug, such as certain syrphia fly, lava, and aphis lion or larvae of lace wing and hemerobius flies, which live on the aphis. The fly parasites can be found clinging to the stems of the plants in any part of the valley. The remarkable fecundity of the aphis, extermination by these insect ene- mics, for although vast numbers may be killed, so many are matched that they still thrive. Slight changes in temperature or humidity may cause the aphis to disappear although the effect does not always seem to be the same. Ordinarily the females lay eggs, which sometime hatch before leaving the body of the mother and which develop to maturity in about a fortnight and are then ready to continue egg laying. Some of these are winged and some are not, the condition of food, temperature and general development seeming to de- termine this. The winged forms may H1r nd CIuddnr dicon pearance of the pest In the fall the female lays one fertilized egg which remains over winter.
 Many species will start on one kind of plant, and then develope winged generation which appears in the air in great numbers and flies to other host plants, from which they may re- turn in the fall to the original host to lay the fertilized eggs for next years crops. The apple aphis, for example, may appear on trees in the spring, migrate to grasses in the sum- mer, and return to the apples in autumn. A similar migration is prob ably such as happened here last year. when the valley aphis disappeared It is quite likely that this will be repeated this year with the aphis now found on the melons. Whether this will happen or not, spraying for the aphis now found on the melons and garden truck, is the only safe way to insure a crop These soft 1Ibodied insects are very sensitive to Sthe right spray, which can therefore be applied in rather dilute form. Spraying Is always more or less ex- pensive, but with valuable crop it most certainly pays
 It would be no fair test to put one man to thirty or forty acres, as Is often done. The work must be done thoroughly to get any results of value. One man to ten or fifteen acres will have his hands full. The plants should be sprayed over several times until the aphis disappear. Badly in fested vines should be burned and the ground around sprayed and tramped to kill any young that may be found there A five gallon spray pump that can be carried on the back is a good kind, as it gives a constant pressure and throws the spray in a fine mist, which reaches to the more hidden parts of the leaves. A right angle nozzle should be used as it can be held so that the spray will reach under parts of the leaves M The aphis are killed by contact sprays, not by poison. Their soft Abodies are easily burned or the in- sect smothered. Sulphur, lime or
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