Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-01
UNITE IN FIGHT
ON GYPSY MOTH
d. structive Pest Brought to
This Country by New Eng
land Professor.
CAMPAIGN is A COSTLY ONE
Federal Government Is ASSISTING
States to Keep Insect From
Spreading.

l.
unbidden immigrants came into the
United States some years ago; TODAY
they are the objects OF the combined
attack OF the federal and several state
governments, which have turned to
Europe and Asia for help in their
hgnt. Not only have the two unwel.
come visitors devastated vast vegeta-
bic tracts in this country. but ono os
them has originated and introduced a
ne" human ailment that is doing great
oamage to the business of summer re-
sorts. The two immigrants are the
gypsy-moth and the brown-tail moth.
The warfare being waged against them
is described in a communication 10
the National Geographic society. ar
washington, ID. c., by DR.. l.. o. How
ard.
Inc gypsy-moth, according to the
writer, was brought to this country
Tor experimental purposes by a French
professor OF astronomy in a New Eng
Ianu university. Its importation Is
ABOUT the only case of it's kind on rec
ord. The brown-tail came to ou-
shores in the normal course of COM
merce. From 1892 until 1900. both
species were confined to Massachu-
sets, where a bitter fight was waged
against them by the state. From 1900
to 1905, however, they were unmolest-
ed, except by individual property hold
ers. Since 1905 Massachusetts has
been Joined in her fight by New Hamp-
shire, Maine, Rhode Island and Con
necticut, into which states the pests
migrated. And now the United States
government has stepped in to prevent
the further spread over the face of the
country.
Measures TO Suppress Moths.
Since the young Of the moth prefer
the leaves of certain trees for food,
the states are removing these trees
from the forests subject to the moth
attack. In some cases the problem
may mean Ultimate reforestation. The
female gypsy-moth does not fly, but
the species was spread when the in
sect, while in the caterpillar stage,
crawled On trolley cars, automobiles
and other vehicles. and upon the
clothes of pedestrians. This condition
was remedied by driving the pests |
from the highways for a distance of 80 |
to 100 feet. Enormous wire screens, !
coated with a sticky substance to en- |
tangle them, erected to the windward |
Of infected woods, demonstrated the /
fact that many young caterpillars. sus-
pended by their silken thread, were |
carried by the wind to a distance of
six miles or more, and the attacking
forces are now concentrating their eff
forts along the border of spread. AS
an added precaution to a spread of the
pests. all products shipped from the
infested region are rigidly Inspected
for the larvae of the insect. The fe-
male brown-tail moth is a strong flyer.
but fortunately she is not so hard to
control. Early spring and fall spray
ng and the cutting off and burning
p the Characteristic winter nests
nave brought wonderful results.
scares Away Recorders.
The principal money loss caused by
lie latter pest occurs at the summer
.esort, where the prevalence of what
las come to be known as the brown
all rash" keeps people away. The
airs of the brown-tail caterpillar are
ineIv barbed and brittle, and where
hey come in contact with the human
kin these hairs enter the skin pores
freak off, and cause a severe irrita-
ion. II is not always necessary for
he caterpillar to come IN contact
With the skin for at certain times OF :
he year the hairs are floating in the 1
ir.
The more recent recruits in the war i
gainst the moths are numerous spe- (
les OF true parasites. which have been {
rported from Europe and Asia. Chief
mong them is the Calosoma beetle. t
hose speciality is the devouring OF i
,af-eating caterpillars. Although
low to get a start. these beetles are i
ow thriving in this country and are @
to exterminate millions OF t
e moths during the present summer
mother recruit is the Japanese egg S
.rasite. the Schedius kuvanas, which
ndergoes its entire development IN
single gypsy-moth egg. \