The Mena weekly star., 1912-01-11
Dtros ann
Boil 0Mefuils

BY Paul Hayhurst, Professor OF En-
tomology, University of Arkansas
The increase Of the cotton boil
weevil in the southern counties and
its recent advance to the Arkansas
river and even north Of this river
at many points, should arouse IN
| the people enthusiasm Tor any and
every known measure of relief that
eaa DE discovered. BY adopting all
| the known methods of control the
lholl weevil can be made to yield to
1.-The demand of the growers. In
Louisiana, where the weevlls are
Excessively abundant, many farm
ers are growing more cotton per
acre with government methods than
most Arkansas farmers are now
growing where the weevils are not
NEARLY so bad Besides, the cultural
methods of control there are GER
ltain natural enemies of the boil
weevil, which could be encouraged
and become important aids in hold
ing in check. The Bureau Of Bio
| logical Survey has studied the hab-
| its of certain birds often seen in the
cotton fields, and has found that
some species are important factors
in the check of the boil weevil, al
though they alone cannot be ex-
pected to control it. 1t has been
found that the numbers of these
birds can be increased by the peo-
pie if the right means are used.
Boil weevis have been found in
the crops of fully 43 species of
birds. Swallows and orioles de-
stroy them in the warm season,
while blackbirds and meadow larks
eat them in winter. Five species
of swallow known to occur to Ar
kansas have been found to feed on
the boil weevil. These are the pur-
pie martin, cliff swallows and
roughwings. Swallows nest in the
United States in summer and spend
the cold season in Central and South
America. They usually leave this
country during August and Septem-
Der, and thus vast numbers of them
from the northern states and many
sections of the south course over
the cotton fields just when the boil
weevils are also on the wing. The
crops of many swallows shot atThis
time have been found to be stuffed
with weevils, the average number.
being 10 in each crop.
| The Baltimore and Orchard orr
oles are of nearly as much value.
These beautiful birds breed in the
summer near the cotton fields and
hunt weeviIs diligently on the
squares and bolls. While they
spend their winter in Central
America, they are with us from
April to October. In feeding their
young ones they put countless
weevils to a practical use. They
begin eating weeyils as soon as they
arrive from their winter homes,
thus reducing this pest at a most
fcritical time, from the point Of
view Of the growers.
Blackbirds are quite as import
ant as the orioles in this work.
Four species of Arkansas black
birds have been found to eat the
weeyils. The special value of
blackbirds consists of their habit
of pursuing the weevils in the late
fall and winter when the stalks are
being raked up and ground plowed.
They like to follow the pillow and
pick up the weevils in the loose
soil. They thus aid the farmer in
the most important step against
the boil weevils.
Meadow larks are locally COM
mon in Arkansas, where they hunt
for their food among the old cot
ton stalks, killing many weevils,
especially after the ground has
been broken. These beautiful
birds are extremely beneficial,
since their diet consists largely of
insects and very little grain. Be
sides these birds, the following are
also helpful in killing boil weevils.
| Night-hawks. or bull-bats, fly
catchers, grousebeaks and several
sparrows (not the English spar
row, plover, kildeer, quails and
warblers.
Protection is all that most spe-
eies need to cause them to multiply
greatly in excess Of their present
numbers. OF all the enemies of
birds, BY far the most dangerous,
destructive and cruel is man him
self. The destruction of the most
richly colored birds for ladies' hats,
the fad of collecting eggs, the
slaughter of many as game, be-
sides their mere wanton destrnc-