The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-06-01
TO CHECK
DepredatiOnS OF The Tent
Caterpillar
Several Methods Are Pro.
posed In A Bulletin

Iamlllar ODJeCLS III JHe spring III trees |
along roadways, streams, and fences, |
in neglected orchards and elsewhere. |
Several methods of checking the dep |
relations of this caterpillar are given |
in a new publication of the Depart |
ment of Agriculture, Farmers Bule |
tin No. 662.
These gregarious caterpillars con-
struct the tents for their protection, |
and these, at first small, are gradually |
enlarged often to foot or more In
height and diameter, the size varying
with the number of individuals in the
colony. The caterpillars feed upon
the foliage of the trees, stripping the
| leaves from the limbs adjacent to the
nest, and if there be several colonies
in tree, as Is frequently the case
during periods of abundance, the fol-
iage may be quite destroyed, leaving
the branches as bare as in midwinter.
| 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 wher 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 oher plans, 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 infested 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 II it is not practi.
cable to extend the work to the or
chard as a whole. This work may be
combined with pruning to good ad-
vantage, and a lookout should be kept
not only for the eggs and cocoons Of
ether injurious species which pass
the winter on the trees.
When two-eggs masses are depos-
tied close together, the resulting cat
erpillars may form common nest.
These nests are gradually enlarged
and soon furnish ample protection
II the caterpillars are destroyed as
soon as the small nests are detected,
this will prevent further defoliation OF
the trees, and the rule should be
adopted to destroy them promptly as
soon as discovered In this work
either OF two practices may be adopt
/ ed, namely, destruction by hand or
with torch
When in convenient reach the nests
may be torn out with a brush, with
larvae crushed on the ground, care
being taken to destroy any caterpil
lars which may have remained on the
tree
The use OF a torch to burn out the
nests will often be found convenient
especially when these occur in the
higher parts OF the trees. An ashes
tos torch. such as is advertised by
{ seedmen, will be satisfactory, or one
l. may be made simply by tying rags &c
y the end OF a pole The asbestos oil
lighted and the caterpllars as far as
y possible cremated. Some caterpiilars
e however. are likely to escape. falling
?, from the tent upon the application ol
l the torch In using the torch great
r care is necessary that no important
g injury be done the tree; IL should moi
5 be used In burning out nests excep,
N in the smaller branches and twigs
the killing of which would be OF nc
n special importance. Nests In the
$ larger limbs should be destroyed by
, hand as the use OF the torch may Kill
!. the bark, resulting in permanent in
y Jury.
n Tent caterpllars are readily de
10 stroyed by arsenicals sprayed on tn,
II foliage OF trees infested by them
g Any OF the arsenioal insectides ma!
be used, as Paris green. Scheele
5. green, arsenate of lead etc. The frs
~ two are used at the rate of one,hal
" pound to fifty gallons of water. Mill