The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1915-08-20
COTTON RED SPIDER
DOING MUCH DAMAGE
Insects Become Serious Pests In Geor.
sla, Owing To Long
Dry Spell

Atlanta, Ga.-Numerous complaints
OF damage done to cotton plants by
the cotton red spider are being re-
ceived by the State Department of En-
tomology from various sections of
Georgia.
In many instances they are threat
ening serious harm to the crop, owing
to the fact that the prolonged hot
and dry weather has been favorable
to their propagation, and the depart
ment strongly urges farmers who
have this pest to deal with to lose
no time in applying the effective rem
edies.
1t is only during excessively long
dry periods that the red spider prop
agates in great numbers, and only in
prolonged drouths, such as certain
sections of Georgia have been expert
encing this summer, that their raw
ages assume serious proportions. Rain
washes them from the plants, and
when frequent affects them to such
an extent as to make their injury of
minor importance. This summer, how
ever, they have obtained a start that
will mean serious harm unless their
ravages are checked by the applica-
ton of poison sprays.
The department has made a careful
study Of the life and habits of the cot
ton red spider, and from practical ex-
pertinent has gained knowledge of the
most effective way to curb its ravages,
so that the farmer who conscientious
ly follows the suggestions made by
the department may be certain of OBJ
tanning real results.
The Best Remedy
OF course, prevention in the first
place is the best way of handling the
red spider, State Entomologist E. Lee
Worsham points out, but where the
pest is already in the cotton plant
the only thing to do is to kill it by
spraying with the right kind of poi
son.
The cotton red spider, as it is gen.
orally known, is really one of the
spinning mite" family, and as the
word mite indicates, it is extremely
small, less than the size of a pin
head, and does not usually attract at
tention until after the plants have
been injured. A careful examination
of plants attacked, however, will dis
| close the mites or spiders and their
eggs, even to the unaided eye. The
color of the grown spider is red, while
che young are of greenish color.
The red spider makes its home on
the underneath side of the leaves on
the cotton plant, congregating along
the veins and depressions. They feed
by puncturing and sucking the Juice
from the leaves and tender branches
% the plant. They always show de-
cided preference for the under foliage
of the plant.
How They Migrate
They spin thin network of thread
or web over the surface on which
they feed, and the eggs are deposited
Immediately beneath this web, being
loosely attached to it, and touching
also on the leaf hairs. They do not
use the web like true spiders for
climbing or for descending from a
height Their way of migrating from
one plant to another is by interiacing
branches. In no instance do they
ever crawl from one plant to another
on the ground, and the isolated condi-
ton of the cotton plants until July is
the reason why fields do not become
infested until that time.
The plants which are infested first
show slight yellow spots on the sur
face of the leaf. AS feeding progress
es and the infestation becomes more
severe, the discolored spots enlarge
and the leaf begins to curl. Gradually
the leaf turns reddish brown, and a
field Of cotton so attacked, in its final
stage, has rusty red color. These
discolored leaves eventually drop off.
The spread of the pest is ordinarily
slow, but when disturbed or their
food is exhausted locally, they are
quite capable Of rapid movement. Spi-
ders that today cover only two or
three acres may sometimes spread
so rapidly that in a week they infest
an area three times that large.
Details About Spray
The only effective way to fight the
cotton red spider when it once OBJ
tains a. foothold, Mr.. Worsham points
out, is to spray the infested fields
with an insecticide that is known to
kill this particular pest. The cheap
est and at the same time the most
effective insecticides for this purpose
are as follows:
Either two per cent prepared lime
sulphur solution;
Or two per cent Scalecide solu-
ton.
Either OF the above Is to be used
as spray. Further information on
this subject will be gladly furnished
at any time by the department of en-.
tomology.
AS prevention is always better than
the application of remedies after
harm has been done, Mr.. Worsham
recommends that wherever the cotton
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