The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-02-27
BIRDS ENEMIES or PESTS
VIII Help Vermont In War on Brown
Tall and Gypsy Moths.

Mn Help Vermont In War on Brown
Tall and Gypsy Moths.
Essex Junction. Feb. 23.-Carlton
D. Howe. state ornithologist, in dis
sussing the appearance of the brown
.ail moth and the gypsy moth. said
Today:
"In view of the fact that the brown
tail moth and the gypsy moth have
made their appearance in. the south
srn part OF Vermont, a discussion OF
the above. topic is timely.
The gypsy moth, portnta dispaT,
well known pest in European coun-
tries, was introduced into Medford,
Mass, by Leopold Troyelet in 1863.
The moth increased In such numbers
that 1t soon became pest. In 1890
the legislature of Massachusetts, APP
propriated $4,000 for the checking
of it's ravages. The state board OF
agriculture was given charge OF the
work in 1891 and over one million dol
lars was expended in the next ten
years in the attempt to exterminate
the pest. At the end OF this time,
the legislature deemed 1t unwise TO
continue further appropriations.
Meanwhile towns and individuals
were fighting the pest at a greater an
nual cost than that formerly assumed
by the state In 1905 the legislature
was obliged to renew the fight and
appropriated three hundred thousand
dollars for work against this pest and
another imported pest, the brown tail
moth, euproctis chrysorrhea.
zone man in Medford, Mass, has
spent over $4,000 to protect the
trees on his estate.
ut is a we'll established fact that
birds are of inestimable value as In
sect destroyers AS a spread OF the
brown tail moth and the gypsy moth
is imminent in our state, let us con-
slider what birds destroy these pests
in the different stages of the insects
development. The life history Of an
insect comprises four distinct stages:
| ID the egg, (2) the larva or the cat
erpilar in moths and butterflies, CD
the pupa OF cocoon, (4) the image or
the perfect winged insect Different
species of the bird family destroy In
sects In all the stages, but more es-
pecially in the egg and larva form.
Many birds eat the caterpillars OF the
brown tail and gypsy moth, but only
few have yet learned TO eat the
eggs. The caterpillar of the brown
tail moth is provided not only with
long hairs but with coating OF short
loosely attached hairs on the poster
Tor part of the body, which are easily
detached, barbed like the quilts of a
porcupine, and so tenacious that they
will quickly work into the human
skin, causing irritation and an itching
eruption which lasts several days. 1t
was supposed that these caterpillars
would be distasteful to the birds but
IL did not prove so, as many birds
eat them with avidity. The egg clus-
tiers of these two insects are covered
with a fine yellow hair which causes
them to resemble fungus growth Of
ten found on trees Most birds fail
to recognize anything edible in these
clusters. When the birds in general
learn to eat the eggs. as they event.
ually will, an effectual natural check
| upon these two pests will be estab-
lished Meanwhile birds are render
ing a service OF great value by de
/ stroying the caterpillars OF these
/ moths The larvae Of the brown tail
moth hibernate in their nests in the
curled up leaves that remain on the
trees all winter Some winter birds
| are already learning to open these
nests, taking the contents therefrom
IL will be remembered that it is the
caterpillar that strips the trees OF
leaves and destroys vegetation.
Il. H. Forbush. state ornithologist
OF Massachusetts,. gives an extended
and detailed report OF the food hab
its OF birds In relation to the brown
tail and gypsy moth. During the
prosecution of the work against these
pests by the Massachusetts state
board of agriculture more than a thou
sand men we're employed, among
, whom SO knew the common birds and
the common insects and who made
written reports Of their observations
The following extracts show the &C
tivity OF birds in destroying caterpil
lars. The yellow-billed cuckoo ate
IL gypsy caterplllars in Is minutes
crows ate caterpillars as fast as hens
pick up corn; blue jay ate a gypsy
caterpillars in IS minutes; yellow
warbler took 10 gypsy caterpillars in
five minutes; chestnutsided warbler
ate 2S in ~ minutes; rose-breasted
grosbeak ate 81 gypsy caterpillars in
20 minutes; scarlet tanager took A
in II minutes; crow blackbird ate a
In three minutes.
"The following extracts refer to
the caterpillars of the brown tail
moth. Redstarts ate IL caterpillars
in five minutes; black and white war
bier destroyed 2S caterpillars in ter
minutes; chickadee ate 81 in seven
. minutes; blue jay ate 30 caterpillars
In five minutes: red.eyed vireo a
In ten minutes; black billed cuckoo
ate the caterpillars greedily by the
mouthful; robins did the same. TAX
Ing into consideration the full day
and the entire season. II is very evi
dent that the birds aided materially
In checking the ravages OF these two
pests throughout the state of Massa
, ohusetts.
1T has been found. however that a
few birds aid in the spread OF the
+ moths by dropping live caterpillars