The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-07-04
MEALY Bug ATTACKS
CITRUS TREES.
Experiment Station Issues
Bulletin on their
Control.

The Agricultural Experiment Station
in connection with the State University
at Gainesville has this week issued the
following bulletin regarding the control
Of The mealy bug which just now seems
TO he attacking the citrus frees of Florida:
During the past few weeks citrus
growers in many parts of the state have
been troubled with mealy bugs. This
is perhaps largely due 10 dry weather.
1t is a matter of common observation
that these insects become more abun-
dant during dry seasons.
Spraying is the best means TO reduce
their numbers. 1t is important to have
good pressure TO force The liquid into
corners and CreviceS, and TO wash many
of the insects from their support.
Washing them off the trees is so effec-
tive that spraying with clear water is
often sufficient 10 control them. How
ever, il is better 10 use an insecticide.
One may take one of the miScible oils
which are used for whitclly, or whale.
oil soap in the proportion of one pound
to from four to six gallons of water lac.
cordng 10 whether the water is soft or
hardD Kerosene emulsion is fairly eff.
fective. To make this dissolve one and
a hall pounds of soap in three gallons
of hot water, add three gallons of kero-
Sene and mix by means of pump, then
dilute 10 fifty gallons. If one has
power spray outfit with good agilalor
he may use simple mixture of oil and
water, taking five gallons of kerosene
TO fifty gallons of wafer, and mixing
thoroughly. However, unless one has
good agitator he had better not try this,
as burning may result unless the mixing
is thorough. A spray that is recon-.
mcndcd in California is made by diSSolv-
ing two and third pinlS OF crude car.
bolic acid and two and a third pounds
of whale. oil soap in hot water, and dilu-
ting TO make fifty gallons of spray. If
the first spraying does not result in salts.
factory control, il may be repeated after
three or four weeks.
"CTheSe measures should also go far
toward controlling the couony cushion
scale which is getting 10 be quite no
tiCeable in many groves in PinellaS,
EIilIsboro, Polk, Manatee, and Citrus
counties. The weather conditions that
favor the increase in the numbers OF
mealy bugs seem TO be likewise favora-
Bile TO the increase of this peSt)
The female lays from $50 TO 400 eggs
in the cottony mass which she Secretes
The eggs hatch in eight 10 ten days in
summer. The insects move about more
or less, but seldom migrate far. They
congregatc in hidden places, such as the
bases of leaf stalks, or the stems OF
fruit, or at the forks of branches. A
favorite place is between two oranges
or grapefruitS that are in contact. These
bugs require about six weeks to grow to
full size.
"Mcaly bugs have many enemies
which often effectively control them.
Among these are the lady beetles. The
larvae of the lace winged flies also eat
numbers of them. These larvae are
llatlish, Soft-bodied insects a quarter of
an inch long or SO, with sharp projec
ting jaws on which a mealy bug or
japhid is frequently seen impaled. The
Iace-wng lays her eggs on the under
side OF the leaves, each egg being pro-
vded with a slender stalk an inch or so
long. These Stalked eggs are laid in
punches and, are familiar sight in
orange groves. Another enemy of the
mealy bug is the larva OF surplus flies.
The adult surplus flies are grayish or
brownsh, usually larger than the com
mon house fly, but smaller than the
blue bottle fly which they resemble in
general shape. The larvae, which eat
mealy bugs, aphdS and rust mites, are
soft bodied, legleSS grubs, and can occa-
Sionally be seen making their way over
the orange leaves"