The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-08-25
FARMERS ARE
SEEKING AID
GOVERNMENT WOULD DO WELL
TO DEVOTE SPECIAL At
TENTioN TO GRASS
HoPPERs IN U. p.

Though it Is not expected that
grasshoppers will do any further
damage to crops in this locality this
season. there are number OF farm
ers who are of the opinion that an
effort should be made to get govern
ment aid to prevent repetition an
other season Of the great damage they
have done this summer and also I'm
1909 According to one farmer,
grasshoppers the last few years have
been the most destructive of pests To
the agricultural interests, and there
is no reason to believe that they will
be any less numerous next year, in
case the weather should be dry and
favorable To their development
on sandy soils In this locality the
grasshoppers have practically ruined
the hay crops for the last two years
aud have done untold damage L.
oats and other crops. They appear
IL IL i'm June and July that they get
in their most destructive work. A
most valuable bulletin on grasshop-
pers has recently been issued by l..
NJ. Geismar of the upper peninsula
experiment farm, in which various
means for exterminating the pests are
discussed.
In 1909 the grasshoppers disap-
peared almost as suddenly as they
came. due To the ravages of para
site. known as red lice" which bored
under the wings OF the grasshoppers
into their lungs, eventually leaving
nothing but the dry shell. This year
these parasites did not appear until
later than in 1909 and not until the
grasshoppers had done about all the
damage they could do The parasites
seem to thrive in wet weather.
Insect Parasites.
In Mr.. Geismars opinion. the red
lice cannot be depended upon to do
much toward the timely and effectual
determination OF grasshoppers. He
says that more benefit can be expect
ed from the ash-gray blister beetle,
an insect often called 1.-The new pota-
to bug" which has multiplied very
rapidly the last two seasons. While
i'm their larval stages these beetles
feed upon grasshopper eggs. and in
this regard, Professor r. III. Petit,
entomologist of the Michigan Expert
ment station, states, '1n fact the
young blister beetle of this group Is
not known to feed on anything else.
The fact that the eggs of grasshop-
pers are laid in pods covered with
waterproof shells. makes 1t possible
for the beetles to do n great deal of
damage to the contents OF the pods by
devouring part of the pods. If all are
not eaten, fermentation and the con-
sequent loss of n part of the batch
are sure to follow. Therefore, II Is
possible for the beetle to attain its
majority only at the expense of many
grasshopper eggs"
The so-called hair snake is an
other parasite which lives for part
of its existence inside the body cav
Birds are also valuable aids in the
destruction OF grasshoppers. In dry
seasons. however. the grasshoppers
thrive and are able to survive the
attacks of their parasite enemies and
do great damage to crops.
Mr.. Gelsmar recommends fall plow-
ing of sandy soils to bury the grass
hopper eggs. thus preventing them
from Matching and the use of Grid
die mixture as the most effective
means of getting rid of the pests.
Criddle mixture is a mixture of horse
manure. salt and paris green. The
insects are fond of salt and in eating
IL get enough OF the paris green to
kill them. The only objection to this
process Is that the poison may do
>harm to domestic animals. though
no cases of this sort have been not
iced at the experiment farm.
In spite of all that has been done
by the experiment farm officials, how