Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-06-26
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"sPxzD TIE rLow.-

AMOINU IHE FAKMERS.
"sPERD TIE rLow.~
eepondence on practical agrioulturnl touio
- soncated. Address al commupications n
31a1ea Tor this department 20 HNnY D
80. UaD. S. agricultural Editor Oxford Tenn
The Common Squash Bug.
LIFE HISTORY, HABITS, AND METHOD:
OF CONTROL.
According to the letters sent the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station
the common squash bug (Anasa tristis,
does annually good deal OF damage
within the state.
Injury may begin soon after the first
sprouting OF the plants, or after the
plants have made some considerable
growth, and may continue until their
death or the departure of the bugs to
places of concealment for bibernation
The plants are first attacked BY the hi.
bernated bugs, sUon after their first sp.
pearance, which varies according to
temperature and locality from early
spring in the south to late June farther
north, the insects copulate and begin
the deposition of their eggs, attaching
them by an adhesive secretion to the
leaves in masses of three or four to forty
and more. The eggs are metallic brown
or bronze in color and flattened on three
sides. They are laid usually on the un.
der side OF leaf, but not infrequently
also on the upper side; often in regular
rows, but sometimes less regularly; and
either separated or more closely crowded
together as In the smaller mass. They
are whitish when first laid, but soon
change to bronze, and hatch 10 from
eight to thirteen days into small green
and black creatures, which resemble
somewhat the mature insects but differ
in having proportionately longer legs
and antennae. These make their escape
from the eggshell through little round
hole cut ont of one end. In this period
Of its existence which Is known as the
first nymph stage, the insects live In
colonies, at first remaining close together
upon the leaf near where the eggs were
laid, but later congregating about the
bases of the leaf-stalks or hiding, togeth.
or with individuals Of the more advanced
stages and the parent insect, under near.
by clods of rubbish, or In any convenient
retreat, and coming forth toward dusk
in search of food.
The pymphs cast their skins FIVE times
before reaching the mature condition,
increasing their growth after each molt.
Three days after hatching, the nymph
having attained larger size molts and as.
sumes the second stage. In this stage 1t
lives eight or nine days before undergo
ing the next molt. The third stage re-
auires seven to eight, and the fourth six
days. The fifth stage is passed In eight
DAYS, when the fifth and final molt takes
place and the insect appears as full.
sized bug. In it's last stage the insect
continues to feed, but with the disap-
pearance Of its food supply, caused by
the diving or clearing away of the crop
on which it has fed, it seeks shelter In
any convenient rubbish, under boards or
stones, old vines or similar vegetation,
or under the loose bark on dead trees, or
in cracks or barns or outhouses, and
here passes the winter. Hibernation In
the District of Columbia, where the pc
riods above mentioned have been observ.
ed by the writer, begins some time In
September.
METHODS OF CONTROL
This insect is usually resistant to an
exceptional degree to insecticides, and
this is particularly true OF the adults. A
wash strong enough to kill the mature
insect will at the same time destroy the
vines. This renders it necessary to pro-
ceed against 1t by hand and by cultural
methods.
Hand picking early In the seasou.-A
look. out for the bugs should be kept
early in the season, and these as we'll as
the eggs should be picked OF or cut
sway with shears and destroyed. The
eggs. on account of their large and con
spicuous appearance when deposited In
clusters while the vines are young, are
readily seen, and the grower should
make a practice at the beginning OF each
season of going over the vines every few
days. Such young as may hatch In spite
of these precautions may be killed oy
kerosene emulsion applied upon their
first appearance.
Trapping the bugs.-The bugs may
also be trapped by placing on the ground
at intervals through the garden, boards,
shingles, pieces of bark, or similar ma
teriaI, to which the bugs will be attract
ed for shelter. Here they should be
looked for and destroyed every morning
or 80 during the season.
Protection to cucurbits other thsn
squash, and perhaps pumpkin, can be So
cured by growing these plants with the
others to serve az trap crops. Attack
will thus be centered upon few plants
where the insects can be the more read
lily controlled.
Other methods.-A number OF the
remedies in use against the striped Gu
cumber beetle and other insect enemies
of cucurbits will assist In the destruction
or control of this species. Among these
are the protection of the young plants
with coverings, the use OF repei'ants
such az land plaster or gypsum saturat
ed with kerosene or turpentine, tne
planting of an excess OF seed to distrio
ute attack, the stimulation OF ths
growth of the plant by manures or othel
proper fertilizer, and lastly, clean cnl
tural practice. If the precaution o'
taken to gather the vines as soon az th'
crop IA harvested and burn them, many
bues in their different stages will be de
stroyed and the crop of insects will D
reduced for the ensuing year.-Chas. u
Woods DirectOr