The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-01-20
CAMPAIGN TO EXTERMINATE TENT CATERPILARS

ing prominent part. The crow,
chIckadee, oriole, chipping sparrow,
yellow warbler, and red-eyed vireo are
other birds that feed upon the cater
pillars.
Best Way To Eliminate Pest.
There are several methods of con
trolling this pest. One is bv brushing
the nests away when they are found
IN the trees aud killing the caterpillar
by stamping on them. Another is L.
spray the leaves with lead arsenate or
Paris green, three pounds of the for
mcr or half a pound of the latter to be
used to each fifty gallons of water
Burning has been tried. aud DESTROY
the caterpillars but 1T the same time
Is liable to damage the trees
The best possible method OF control
IS the destruction of the eg. masses
during the winter season. before the
eaterpillars have been hatchcd.
through cooperation any insect pest
can be chec ked. 1t is usually the care
less. man who breeds destructive in
sects for his neighborhood. Each
property owner and tenant should take
care Of such matters on tho land
which he owns or controls. In some
European countries. he is compelled 70
remove all destructive pests from hi
trees and shrubs. and similar laws are
in force in Massachusetts. New Hump
shire, and Maine regarding the gypsy
and browntaii moths. Ii the owner
or tenant fails TO do this, it is done By
the town or bv the state and he pays
the cost as taxes.
Story in 2 Nutshell.
Briefly. the important things to be
remembered about the tent caterpil
lars follow:
The appletree tent caterpillar. a
native insect and one of the chief leaf
eating enemies OF the orchard, has
| been very abundant throughout Con
! nectieut during the past season and
! has injured fruit trees by dcfoliatlng
! them i'll May. Wild cherry is probably
| the natural food of the species. but
| When abundant it attacks apple and
| other fruit trees
| Eggs are laid on the twigs of the
i food plants in summer and hatch the
! following April. After "a few days the
! Young caterpiIlars form. on the
branches. nest in which they live, 90
| ing out from it to feed. They are al
ways within the nest at night aud in
| cloudy weather They become full
| grown in about six weeks and spin
white silken eoeoons from which the
! adults emerge two weeks later.
| The small gray eggs are deposited
! in masses of 200 or more cncircling
the twigs, aud are covered with q
brownish substance The full-@rown
| caterpillar is over two inches long,
black above and below, and blue on
the sides, with a white stripe along the
back. 1t is thinly covered with light
| brown hairs. The white cocoon Is
about one inch in length and half an
| inch in thickness. The adult is rcd
dish-brown moth with two whitish
stripes extending obiiqueIy across each
fore wing.
Many Caterpillars Last Summer.
The unusual abundance during the
summer of 1913 OF the apple tree or
| orchard tent caterpillar was noted in
various parts of Vermont, especially
| in Windham county.
The conspicuous white nests, seen
more often than ever during the
| month of Nav, indicate the presence
of the tent caterpilars. Although tho
| damage caused Is often more apparent
than real. the tent caterpillar causes
some real damage, and when abun
dant. as last summer. dedoliates many
apple and other trees. When not -
abundant. practically none but wild
| cherry trees are attacked. The eater
pillar attacks the trees early in the
season and weakens the tree appTecia
bly,.