The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-10-06
APPLE BoRER CONTROL.
Means by Which orehardists May Rid
Their Trees of This Pest.
Prepared by the United States depart

Means by Which Orehardists May Rid
Their Trees of This Pest.
prepared by the United States depart
ment of agricultural
"Worming' and painting the trunks
Of the trees are recommended to own
ers of apple orchards as efficient meth
DDS of dealing with the round headed
apple tree borer. heavy application
Of some paint that will not injure the
trees, but will remain in an unbroken
coat on the bark for two or three
months, is effective in preventing the
female from laying her eggs In the
tree and greatly reduces the amount Of
worming, or the removal Of the insects
with knife and wire, that must be
done.
The round headed apple tree borer, the
most destructive of a number of SINH
lar pests, lays its eggs In or under the
bark of apple trees. After Matching
the larvae feed upon the inner bark
and wood to such an extent that the
tree Is seriously weakened or killed.
The pest is found over the whole of
the eastern portion of the United
States and as far west as Nebraska,
Kansas and New Mexico. In addition
to fruit trees, it feeds on service, wild
crab and mountain ash trees, which
makes it advisable for orchardists to
remove these varieties for distance
of at least hundred yards from their
orchard.
The female lays her eggs one at a
time in an incision she has made in
the bark, usually just above the sur
face of the ground. About fifteen or
twenty days later the eggs hatch and
the larvae appear. When full grown
these are nearly IN inch and q half In
length. They first attack the inner
bark, eating out broad, more or less
circular galleries and thrusting out
through small holes in the bark cast
ings, which form little heaps Of red
dish wood fragments around the base
Of the tree. During the winter the
borers are Quiescent, but early in
the following spring they attack the
solid wood, while some of them work
their way up the trunk. These last
spend one more winter in the tree and
then, having passed through the pupae
stage, dig their way out and emerge as
adult beetles.
Ordinarily the beetle lives about
forty or fifty days. 1t is about three
fourths of an inch In length, light
brown in color above, with two broad
white bands joined in front, extending
the full length of the back; the under
parts and front of the head are white.
The females rarely fly any considerable
distance, SO that if the immediate vi
cinity Of an orchard can be kept free
from them there Is little danger of a
serious infestation.
The most common method of Kidding
an orchard Of these pests is to cut
away the bark sufficiently to trace the
burrows made by the borer. A hooked
wire is then inserted into the burrow
and the insect pulled out. If made with
care the wound in the tree caused by
this process will heal readily. The
castings at the base of the tree serve
as an indication of the presence Of the
borers. Where the burrows are curved
or DISTRACTED in some way so that the
wire cannot be inserted, cotton batting
dipped in carbon bisulphide should be
inserted and the hole then plugged with
moist earth. The gas from the carbon
bisulphide will penetrate all parts of
the burrOw and kill the borer.
In addition to worming, as this proc
ess is called, paint is often used to pre-
vent the beetles laying their eggs. Pure
white lead and raw linseed oil, mixed
rather thick, will not injure the trees,
and when applied to young, smooth
bark will form protective coat during
the egg laying season. 1t is probable
that this is a more effective method
than wrapping the trees with building
paper, cotton batting, cloth or other
materials sometimes used for this pur-
pose. Before painting, however, the
earth should be removed from the base
of the tree for depth Of from three to
four inches. The surface of the trunk
thus exposed should be first scraped
and painted and the earth then re-
placed. This Is necessary, for the
beetle sometimes lays her eggs under
instead Of above the ground.