Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-20
The Invasion, History of
And Remedy for Army
Worm Pest in Maine

The invasion of the Army worm in
Maine is being promptly met by the
State department of agriculture and
the Maine agricultural experiment sta
ton at Orono. 1t Is also recognized as
a formidable invasion. Director Chas.
D. Woods of the Experiment station
Wednesday issued the following:
Although Maine is we'll within the
limits liable to attack by the Army
Worm (Heliophila unipuncta), there is
but one previous record of the appear
ance of this insect here in injurious
numbers, and that was in 1861. Just
recently, however, several complaints
have reached the Maine Agricultural
Experiment Station of the destructive
work of the army worm and news of
its travelling from field to field as is
its habit when excessive numbers are
present.
Maine is not alone in suffering dep
relations from this insect during this
season, as word of its ravages reach
us from Connecticut, New York, Ohio
and Illinois. The sudden occurrence of
the Army Worm simultaneously in DIFF
ferent parts of the country seems less
startling when we realize that its nor
NAL food plants, the grasses, are so
plentiful everywhere, that a great
number of individuals might develop
unnoticed every season, their habits at
such times being those of the climbing
cut worms. They are kept in check
as rule by parasites, to which they
are greatly subject; by diseases which
attack the caterpillars and prevent
them from reaching their full develop
ment by predaceous insects, and by
birds which feed upon them greatly.
Occasionally these checks are wholly
or partially absent, either locally or
over considerable territory and then
the species increases rapidly and be-
comes more or less injurious
The caterpillar is brown or blackish
and marked along the sides with a
black stripe which is bordered on each
side by light stripe. On reaching
full growth lover an inch and a half
in length) the caterpillars burrow in
to the ground and turn to light brown
pupae from the cases of which in two
or three weeks the moths emerge.
These are active faun brown insects
with small nut distinct white spot
in the middle of each upper wing
When the wings are closed, the moth
measures about an inch in length.
Life History.
The life history of the Army Worm
has never been worked out for Maine.
In Canada there are two broods in the
year. Eggs are laid in autumn and
hatch in ten or twelve days. After
feeding a short time, the small cater
pillars. like many of the cut worms,
become torpid and pass the winter be-
meath tufts of grass and other low
heritage. In the following spring they
complete their growth, feeding on the
young grass crops, and produce the
moths in June. These lay eggs for the
second brood which Is usually much
more numerous and destructive. By
the latter part of July, in Canada, the
young caterpillars are large enough,
when abundant, to attract attention
by their depredations. They are full
grown by about the first week in Au-
fust, when, burrowing into the ground,
they change to pupae, and emerge as
perfect moths towards the end Of the
month. In New Hampshire three
broods a year are recorded and farth-
er south there are even more.
Remedial Measures.
When the caterpillars appear only in
moderate numbers. they have an
abundant food supply and do not then
acquire the habit of marching, which
is their way of getting from one place
where the food is devoured to a fresh
pasture. When the presence of these
caterpillars is suspected. all low-lying
meadows should be examined, and if
the worms are found abundant enough
to be troublesome immediate action
should be taken to protect nearby
crops of corn and other grain or grass
crops. Plow a deep furrow around the
infested area. having the vertical edge
next the field to be protected The
vertical edge of the furrow should be
from six to twelve inches deep. II
not smooth it should be made so by a
spade, and overhanging grass roots
should be removed. Along the furrow
post holes should be dug at intervals
of 10 or IL feet. The worms crawl
along the burrows and fall into the
holes where they may be killed by
crushing or by pouring on kerosene oil.
When it seems desirable to poison
the caterpillars, advantage may be
taken Of their fondness for bran, and
the following mixture used:-paris
green, l pound; bran, so pounds; Juice
Of oranges. Mix the bran and the
paris green, add the Juice of the
oranges and enough water sweetened
With molasses to make the bran moist
but not sloppy. Spread this late in tho