El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-24
FAR1EING
HARLEQUIN BUGS
DESTROY CABBAGE
Bulletin Issued by State
College Tells How to
Kill the Insects.

State College, N. NJ, July 24-The
Harlequin cabbage bug which is doing
damage in this state in the adult form
is from One-quarter TO one-half inch
long, broad shouldered and shield
shaped and most wildly cOlOred with
deep blue or black and bright orange
or red. The young are similarly COL
ored, but have no wings. The eggs are
barrel-shaped and have dark coIored
hoops They are set on end in rows on
the under side of leaves. Each female
lays about 100 eggs and only from two
to four weeks are necessary to pro-
duce adult bugs from eggs, says a
state college bulletin.
The adults of the last summer gen
Grafton winter over under crop rub
bish left in field or garden, or in al
most any shelter they find handy, be-
coming active in early spring and feed
ing on any cruciferOus mustard and
radish family) plants they find. Sum
mer generations from these bugs swell
the number enormously and they at
tack garden crops very seriously, the
cabbage, turnips, etc, worst of all
They do their damage by inserting the
sharp beak into the plant tissues and
sucking out the juices, causing the
plants to die. Weather sufficiently
cold in fall drives them into shelter.
From the above, control measures
should be based upon preventing the
adults from living over winter and
from laying eggs in the spring. To do
the former, clean I'D and burn the crOp
crops are harvested. Thorough plOW-
ing Will then destroy the hiding places.
A small area of some plant they like
well. late planted so as to be green
after the rest of the crop is cleared off
or some late cabbageS left in the field
will draw most Of the bugs and they
may be sprayed with % percent kero-
Sene emulsion or even pure kerosene.
and so killed in great quantities.
To get the bugs in spring that have
wintered over, use a similar trap
crop" that will make an early growth
IN a given region kale planted in
fall, mustard in spring, radishes, etc,
are good. These will draw the bugs as
soon as they begin to feed in the spring
and they may be sprayed as above and
killed before having had time to lay
eggs for the first summer brood. One
bug killed in fall or spring means
thousands less in summer. 1t is well to
plant such trap crops IN rows through
the intended garden or field. If plant
ed at different times, later planted rows
Will serve to draw bugs after the first
rows have been sprayed, for the spray
kills plants as well as bugs.
The adult bugs on crop plants are
very hard to kill and can not be killed
by a spray with any great success
without usually damaging the plants.
w hale oil soap at the rate OF one and
to two pounds to the gallon of
water will kill the adults on cabbage
without any damage to the plants
usually The young bugs may be killed
WIN THIS SOAutlOu dDOf6s using one
half pound to the gallon. or by spray
ing with kerosene emulsion, 10 per-
cent to Is percent strength
To make the kerosene emulsion, dis
solve by boiling, one-half pound of
hard soap in one gallon of water; while
this is still hot add two gallons of
kerosene Pump back and forth with
4 hand spray-pump, or churn other
wise, until the whole mass is creamy
throughout This is absolutely neces-
Sary- free oil burns the foliage Any
free oil that may be left after the best
emulsion you can give may be poured
off after the solution stands.
For 10 percent strength, dilute one
gallon of the emulsion above with five
and tWO-thirds gallons of water; for Is
percent use three and One-haIf gallons
Of water instead Stir well before and
while using.