The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-07-18
pest ON MISSOURI GRAIN
cHiNcH BUG CAUSES MUCH DAM.
AGE THROUGHOUT SEASON.
Department Of Entomology. College Of
Agriculture, University
CT Missouri.

In the spring, the adult chlnch bugs
that have lived through the winter
<eome out of their hiding and fly about
in search of suitable food.
In some springs the insects are SO
numerous at this time that they at
tract a great deal Of attention by
alghting on people by the dozens. II
appears that spring Is the great mi.
grating season In Missouri, when the
chinch bugs cover great distances and
large areas. Many Of these bugs crawl
instead OF flying, although most of
these spring bugs fly. In the fall,
however. most OF the travelling is done
by crawling instead Of flying.
After the insects have found suita-
bic plants for food. they insert their
beaks through the tissues of the plant
and suck the sap. In this search for
the proper food plants, immense mum.
bers Of the insects alight in the wheat
fields of Missouri If the field hap
pens TO be near wood or Usage
orange hedge, or n wind break where
there IL plenty Of shelter In which
they hibernat ed in winter, the field Is
likely to be badly infested. In such
instances they are usually found
massed together on the plants nearest
the alternating quarters. Their pres
ence can soon be detected by their
effect on the plants.
? It seems that chinch bugs inject
poison into the plant which causes
stronger flow OF sap TO the place
where the beak has punctured. This
may do more injury than the loss of
the sap which the insect actually ex-
tracts.
A wheat field attacked by the bugs
will appear bleached In the area In.
tested. II they are left undisturbed,
the bugs will spread from plant to
plant, and in a short time will take
possession of the entire field.
While n great number of chinch
bugs mate in the fall, the vast major
fly of them mate In the spring soon
after leaving their winter quarters.
Quite soon afterward the females be-
gin laying their eggs under little
clods of earth about the base and
roots OF the plants. In about sixteen
days these eggs will begin TO hatch,
and the farmer will detect the little
reddish or yellowish bugs In his
wheat. In about six weeks these will
have reached the adult stage and the
wheat field Is overrun with cLinch
bugs.
Meantime the young bugs have been
drawing their nourishment from the
wheat plants by sucking the sap. and
have done more or less damage ac-
cordlng to the number OF bugs in the
field. Since each female lays upwards
OF 500 eggs, one can form an idea OF
the extent and multiplication of these
insects after leaving their winter
quarters.
When the wheat has ripened so that
Il is no longer suitable for their food,
the bugs usually migrate all at once
to some green crop. Some are crawl.
ing and some flying. Mostly, however,
even those that are perfectly able to
fly will struggle along with the imma.
ture ones that can not.
The corn field Is usually the natura.
place for them TO 90, and as they are
usually almost starved by their travel,
the first corn Is covered, sometimes
until 1t Is black with them.
Soon after this migration the sec
ond brood appears, and the whole
number attack the growing corn and
cause very great destruction. This
second brood Is the one most to be
feared because OF its vast numbers
and the time at which 1t appears.
By the time the bulk of this second
brood of chinch bugs have reached
the adult condition. the time has ap.
preached for them to seek winter
quarters, and the fall migrations be-
gin. II the proper winter quarters are
near at hand, the most OF the insects
will migrate on foot to them. Other
wise the winged forms will take TO
flight and travel considerable dis
tances to find the suitable places.
II corn Ia cut at this time and
stacked in shocks In the field, the
farmer has given these chinch bugs
the very beat kind of winter quarters.
They will seek these shocks and hi.
bernate there In vast numbers. II
wheat is sown In this same field the
following year. the bugs have been
given the best conditions to start
In their depredations on the wheat.
Clean farming and the destruction
Of brush and rubbish will help In the
control Of this pest. Sowing of mile:
early In spring to attract the early
brood, then burning II while they are
In II, will help. A narrow border of
q green crop makes an effective trap
10 hold them q few days when they
are migrating. giving an opportunity
to kill them OFF.
After chinch bugs have become
widely distributed over the field there
10 little that can be done to stop them
The "chinch bug disease was once
hailed as a remedy, but the work that
II does will 20 on anyway. and is
scarcely under the control Of man.