The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-16
PROGRESS MADE
IN CONNECTICUT
FIGHTING MOTHS
Pest Apparently Extermin
ated in Three Towns of
This State.

w dSAl1lAS SoAS ~. ~, 4<oV. 4U-1 WE'VE
illion nine hundred and forty-seve.
thousand seven hundred and thirteei
parasites which prey on the gips5
moth were released in Massachusetts
and New Hampshire last year by thu
Bureau of Entomology of the y. S..
Department of Agriculture. OF these
GEL, lib were Japanese parasite.
known as Schedius kuvanae. These
were liberatd in % towns in Massa
chustts and II in New Hampshire.
another enemy of the gypsy moth
known as Anastatus bifasciatus, was
colonized in IA towns in Maine. 81
towns in New Hampshire, and II
towns in Massachusetts. In all 49,
2S6 colonies of this species contain
ing 12,286,000 individuals, were iber-
ated to aid in the work of controlling
the gypsy 9th pest. These two para
sites place their eggs in the egg of
the gypsy moth, the eggs Of the para
sites hatch into larvae, or grubs, and
these feed upon the developing cater
pillar within the eggshell and kill it
before the egg has a. chance to
hatch. According to the annual re-
port of the chief Of that bureau just
published by the U. S. Department of
Agriculture, the parasites previously
released seem to be gaining a foot
hold and many of them are now
found in larger numbers and over a
wider territory than ever before. The
Calosoma beetle, another insect enc
my of the moth. the report states, is
continuing it's good work, although
apparently the beetles are not so nu-
t., al a q thew
were last year.
In New England, in cooperation
with state officials and other state
agencies, considerable progress Is be-
ing made in fighting the gypsy moth.
This year in two towns in New Hamp-
shire, two in Vermont, four in Massa-
chusetts and three in Connecticut,
the insect has apparently been exter-
minated. Extensive scouting to de-
ternine its spread showed thatN the
moth has been found in Is towns
where it was not known to exist be
fore. This gives a net increase of
only four infested towns, which, the
entomologists say, is a much smaller
number than has been reported in
previous years. All Of the infesta-
lions discovered in these towns have
been carefully treated and a large
amount Of creosoting Of egg masses
and banding and spraying of trees has
been done in towns immediately in
side the border. During the year
appropriately IS tons of arsenate of
lead were used and over $4,000 miles
of roadway and $4,000 acres of wood
land have been examined.
To prevent the spread of gypsy and
brown-tai1 moths in nursery stock
and forests products, the inspectors
examined 37,444 shipments, 664 of
which were found to be infested. The
infested speciments were treated be
fore their shipment was permit
ted
Considerable attention also was CIV
en- to securing data on methods of |
thinning infested woodland with the !
idea Of eliminating favorite food
plants Of the gypsy moth caterpillar.
In connection with this, considerable |
information has been gathered con-
corning the best methods Of utilizing |
the wood products grown in the in
tested areas so as to make more prof
table markets for trees which should
be eliminated as part Of the control |
work.
The severity of the brown tail moth |
infestation has s. ,adily decreased, |
and the, insect is by no means as
abundant as it was the previous year. |
The various Eighth ouses along the !
coast of Connecticut and Long Island |
have been examined, but no migrat-
ing moths have been found. Fewer |
moths have been found on trains COM
ing from infested regions during the |
season when the moths are flying than |
in any year since the work has been
begun. This indicates quite clearly |
that the moth is not spreading into
new territory, and the conditions In |
the territory known to be infested |
showed marked improvement and in |
many Of the towns where this insect
once caused much damage and an !
noyance it has done little injury dur |
ing the year.