The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-10-31
FALL FLOWING FOR INSECT PESTS

Fall blowing is one of the most eff
fective remedies known for insect
pests. 1t is however, more of a pre-
ventive than cure, for the insects de-
stroyed by this method are, for the
most part, in a dormant or resting
stage, doing little or no damage, but
getting ready for the next seasons
depredations. This remedy alone is
not to be relied upon for the complete
eradication of any insect, but as a
supplementary method of combat it is
of considerable value, and against
some insects 1t is the remedy of first
importance.
All of the following insects, recog-
nized as more or less injurious to var
iOus crops in our state, can be con-
trolled to a considerable extent by
fall blowing.
COLORADO POTATO BEETLE
This insect is only too we'll known to
people from the eastern and middle
states. 1t has at last established itself
in Washington. The mature insect is a
half round beetle about the size and
shape of a half of garden pea, and
has ten longitudinal black stripes
down its back. The larval stage is
plump, Shiny slug found feeding on
the potato leaves and vines. The in
sects winter in the ground and fall
blowing will destroy many of them,
but as the summer treatment is so eff
fective the practice of fall blowing
is rarely followed.
CORN EAR WORM. This is the
common Injurious worn found in ears
of corn, especially sweet corn, in all
parts of the country. When fully
grown the worms drop from the ear
to the ground, where they remain over
winter just beneath the surface. The
very best treatment for this pest is
fall blowing, which turns some of
them to the surface, where they are
killed by exposure to the weather
while others are turned under and
crushed.
CUT WORMS. These caterpillars
are more or less injurious to most all
kinds Of garden, field and orchard
crops. They work mostly at night, and
hide in the soil during the day. They
winter in the ground. Fall blowing
will not only kill many of these cut
worms, but will also destroy any weeds
upon which they might feed the next
spring. In this way any worms not
killed outright will starve the next
spring or have to move to other land
to obtain food.
GRASSHOPPERS lay their eggs in
the fall in the uncultivated ground,
such as pasture land or wild scab land
on the hill sides and along the road
sides and fence ways. Wherever the
grasshoppers have been at all plenti-
full the past summer one should look
for the female grasshoppers, with their
abdomens sticking down into the
ground in the act of egg-laying. Where
there are many of these females lay
ing eggs in this manner the land
should be plowed in the late fall to
turn under the eggs and thus prevent
crop Of grasshoppers the coming
year.
STRAWBERRY CROWN MINER
AND STRAWBERRY ROOT BORER.
These two insect pests are we'll known
to all strawberry growers. The only
effective remedy for these pests is
fall blowing of the infested patches.
pillow up and destroy the vines found
infested.
TOMATO WORMS. The large cater
pillars commonly found destroying the
tomato vines are, in most instances,
easily destroyed by hand picking, but
If it is practicable this treatment may
we'll be supplemented by fall blowing
to expose the jug handled" pupae over
wintering in the ground.
WHITE GRUBS. These are the lar
vac of the June bugs or MAY beet
les." They are most frequently found
in new land. The most effective rem
edy for this pest is to break up the
sod land in the late fall and turn hogs
in on it to devour the exposed grubs.
Late fall blowing alone will destroy
many of the grubs, especially if the
weather is very cold when the plow-
ing is done and for some time after
ward.
WIRE WORMS are among the most
difficult insects to combat. They are
the long, slender. whitish brown grubs
found in the soil in all parts of the
country. The adult insect is the click
or swapping beetle. The larvae trans
form to pupae in the fall and remain
in that stage over winter. The most
effective remedy for this insect is fall
blowing. If this practice is followed
for a couple Of years the wire worms
will be worked out of the land.
More detailed information on any
OF the above insects or any other in
furious insects will be given upon re-
quest by
M. A. YOTHERS,
Asst. Entomologist.
Wash. Exp. Station. Pullman. Wash