The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-05-14
CONTROL OF CATERPILLAR
Arsenicals Most Effective Remedy
Against Pest.


The conspicuous, unsightly nests or
tents of the apple-tree tent cater
pillar are familiar objects in the
spring in trees along roadways,
streams, and fences, in neglected or
chards, and elsewhere. Several meth
DDS of checking the depredations of
this caterpillar are given in a new
publication of the u. S. Department
of Agriculture, Farmers Bulletin No.
662.
These gregarious caterpillars con-
struct the tents for their protection,
and these, at first small, are grad
ually enlarged often to foot or more
in height and diameter, the size vary
ing with the number of individuals
in the colony. The caterpillars feed
upon the foliage of the trees, strip
ping the leaves from the limbs ada
cent to the nest, and if there be sew
eral colonies in tree, as is frequent
ly the case during periods of album
dance, the foliage may be quite de-
stroyed, leaving the branches as bare
as in mid-winter.
Species of the tent caterpillar are
found quite generally over the entire
United States. The moths deposit
their eggs by early midsummer, or
earlier in the South. By fall the en-
bryonic larvae is practically full
grown, within the egg where it re-
mains until the following spring.
With the coming of warm spell the
larvae escape by gnawing through
their egg-shells, often before there is
foliage out for food, and under these
circumstances they may feed upon
the glutinous covering of the egg
mass.
The tent caterpillar feeds princi-
pally on wild cherry and apple trees,
but will attack many other plants,
and where such trees can be removed
without disadvantage this should be
done, THUS lessening its food supply.
During the dormant period of trees,
when the leaves are off, the egg mass
es are fairly conspicuous, and with
little practice may be readily found;
it is then that they should be cut off
and burned. Trees infected with lar
vac during the early part of the year,
or those in the immediate vicinity, are
perhaps more likely to be chosen by
the parent moth for the deposition of
her eggs, and such trees at least
should be searched if it is not prac-
ticable to extend the work to the or
chard as a whole. This work may be
combined with pruning to good adj
vantage, and a lookout should be kept
not only for the eggs of this insect
but for the eggs and cocoons of other
injurious species which pass the win
ter on the trees.
Tent caterpillars are readily de-
stroyed by arsenicals sprayed on the
foliage Of trees infested by them. Any
of the arsenical insecticides may be
used, as Paris green, Scheeles green,
arsenate of lead, etc. The first two
are used at the rate of 1-2 pound to
80 gallons of water. Milk of lime
from to 3 pounds of stone lime
should be added to neutralize any
caustic effect of the arsenical on the
foliage. Arsenate of lead is used at
the rate of 2 pounds to each so gal
lone of water.
Even in the small home orchard OF
dozen or more trees it will be found
highly profitable to adopt system of
spraying which, will control not only
tent caterpillars but such serious
pests as the codling moth, canker-
worms, various bud and leaf feeding
insects, and which will greatly reduce
injury from the curculio.
On stone fruits, such as cherry,
peach, and plum, arsenicals are like
ly to cause injury to foliage and must
be used with caution if at ALL On
such trees the arsenate of lead is
preferable, as it is less injurious to
foliage, and on all trees sticks much
better. In spraying for the tent cat
erpillar only, applications should be
made while the caterpillars are yet
small, as these succumb more quickly
to poisons than those more nearly
full grown, and prompt treatment