Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-24

Lewiston ana AUBURN naTuiy hPPl e
ciate what importance they have taken
in the scientific world the, past few
weeks Hire have gathered several well
known entomologists for the study OF
the browntail moth flights, with view
to testing the merits of the moth traps
which have been installed in Auburn.
Prof. Woods of the State experiment
station, Orono, was here for two or three
DAYS and E. II. KimbalI of Lewiston
who is the inventor of the trap, has beer
in communication with the state onto
meiogists of Rhode Island and Mas
sachusetts in regard to results.
The first flight of moths was july l.
Usually, the flights have continued TO
two or three nights. This year they nav.
run uninterruptedly up to and inclualh
Monday night. 10 full days, and whil
they show some signs of diminution IN
indications are that there VIII be night
for the rest of the week.
There are Is traps under electric | GIT
In Auhurn. One result of the obsefVa
tons this season is that for eiectlNt
work in the determination oil moths D
means of lights 1t is necessary To haNt
the proper colored ray. This must De a
nearly white as possible and as brllhah'
as possible Moths are not attracted u
yellow lights no matter how great theh
briIliancy. The ordinary incandescer
street lamp does not attract them
which. probably, explains why 1T seem
to the casual observer that there ai'
fewer moths in Lewiston than IN Au
huru 1t has been demonstrated tina
moths will come from long distances u
play in radius of the light from arr
lamps of high candle power. Mr.. hlih
ball believes that if a lamp or Greut
of lamps of high power could be sla
toned on top of hill in the vicinity oil
the more wooded portions of this or any
other town and suitable traps piaeee
under them the killing of moths thereby
in any one season would &c enormous
and would go far toward settling TN
question which today confrohts New
England.
Have Caught Females.
Whenever anyone hitherto has askes
the experts as to the value of lights II
the determination of moths reference ha
always been made to experiments mad'
at Cornell University. The results %
those experiments tended to prove ina
not over four or five per cent. OF th'
total catch of moths We're females. Q
course the female bearing the eggs j.
the party whom the public wants u
trap but the experiment i'll Auburn 'hi'
past week proved so wholly the reverse
of this that it would not be surprising /
they became the basis of future coihpo
tations At least, 1t is believed by MI
Kimball. that the results of the week II
Auburn will attract world wide attention
so significant do they seem to be-
Monday night, July u, 10 traps We're II
operation in Auburn. From those traps
was taken about 100 quarts OF browhtai
moths. of these, according to the est
mate based upon the count made by
Prof Woods last week of a similar
catch. fully 40 per cent are females
out of catch taken, Thursday evening
last week. about one-half We're females
This shows that when these brlsh
white light arc lamps are in commission
the females are trapped in fully as grea
numbers as the males.
Caught CoddIins Moths.
But this was not all Last hi5ht N'
day) over as quarts or as it is estimated
nearly 800 900 coddlng moths were caush
in the traps In Auburn. This was prop
ably the third flight this year of me coa-
ding moth. These coddling moths are
very small and Judging from the couh'
of the number of brown tail moths pei
quart they will run from l5,ooo to -o'o'
to the quart, The United states Depart
ment of agriculture estimates the annual
damage by the coddling moth at slz'Vo"'-
GOO. Their ravages are upon frult' the
worm of the moth doing the damage to
apples. This is the first time, so far as
known. that coddling moths have Deer
caught in traps. lars of these moths
,.asnr,,nd Il, -nlcohnl Nere Skinned. TueS