The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1913-11-21
A SERIOUS FOE IS
THE MOLE CRICKET
But Department of Entomology Says
1t Can Be Suppressed by
Careful Effort.

Atlanta, Ga.-The mole cricket.
which is causing much trouble to
farmers, particularly in southeastern
Georgi, is believed to have been
brought into Georgia from the
West Indie, and for the past fif-
teen years it has been gradually max
ing its way to the interior wherever
it can find sandy loan or peaty soils,
which constitute its favorite and al
most exclusive abode.
The mole cricket is q brownish-col-
| ored bug about one and a quarter
inches long with six strong and well
developed legs. It's forefront legs are
| highly specialized and these, together
with it's head, constitute its burrowing
| apparatus with which it tunnels
| through the ground very much like
the mole, whence its name.
The mole cricket mates in the early
| spring, and the eggs are deposited
J from April Is to June Is, an important
| fact In connection with the work of
their determination. Only one brood
occurs during the year Each female
will deposit from twenty to sixty eggs
in an egg chamber or cell leading off
from the main tunnel and within about
five inches of the top of the ground.
The eggs hatch within twenty-four to
twenty-six days. The young cricket
reaches the adult stage within eight
to twelve months.
Eats Many Kind of Plants.
The mole crickets food consists
both of plant and animal life. The
cricket will eat the eggs OF its young
or feed upon another of the same
species, but its principal food Ia COM
posed of the young and tender roots
of growing plants. The cricket does
not confine its feeding to one particu-
lar plant. 1t will feed on practically
all truck crops, such as lettuce, pep.
per, tomatoes, turnips and potatoes
and upon pastures and lawns which
suffer severely
Young sugar cane is also a much-de-
sired article of dict. Both the potato
vine and potatoes themselves are eat
en- The cricket sewers the vines of
tomatoes, potatoes and peppers just
below the surface of the ground. As
much as fifty per cent. of field of
potatoes has been destroyed by the
cricketS eating into the tubers. ~
Probably the most effective method
yet presented in controlling the mole
two or three times between April Is
and June Is. This exposes the eggs
in large numbers to the sun which
kills them, or they may be eaten by
insectiverous animals.
In the case Of young and tender
plants, preventive measures have Of
ten been employed with good effect
such as placing around them tin, wire
gauze or paper cylinders. very
good tin cylinder is made by melting
the top and bottom Off a tin tomato
can. The cylinder should extend about
two inches above the ground. All ho
beds In an infested area should have
solid or gauze wire floors, preferably
the latter, and with fine mesh, ant
they should be screened over during
the night. as that is the time wher
the cricket does most of it's feeding
How to Xiii Them.
For destroying the crickets poison
bats have been used with good re
suits. Arsenate of lead may be uset
in proportion of three pounds to fit!
gallons Of water or paris green II
proportion of one-half ounce to s
bucket of water. Mash made of bran
corn meal and cotton seed meal will
Lill6 poison lHCOTpOFdJeu, anu plHCet
In the fields where the crickets feet
will attract them, and the eating O.
it kills them. Care must be taker
to see that no animals run at large
that would be tempted by the bait fol-
few weeks after it is put out, as
] otherwise they would be sure to bt
4 poisoned. ~
= 1t is only in the spring that the
cricketsr fly to any great extent. Dur
ing April, especially on warm
> moist nights, they leave the earth II
+ swarms. A brilliant light placed owe
4 q tub partly filled with water covered
: over with oil, will serve as dealt
trap to all attracted. Bonfires are
> equally effective and will attract then
+ from a greater area. Sulphur placet
9 in the drills along with the seed viii
+ act as a repellant, as the crickets d.
not like 1t.
9 The subterranean habits and insid
= iOus activities Of the mole cricke
makes it a serious foe, says the de
partment of Entomology. However
by intelligent and persistent applica
:. ton of the remedies suggested, It II
: possible almost to eradicate the pest
: The department will be glad to sup
! ply complete bulletins on this ant
1 other subjects to those interested.