Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-11-05
The Striped Cucumber Beetle.
HOW TO CATCH THIS PEST WHILE HE ID
MAPPING.

The University of Maine, College Of
Agriculture, receives every year . great
many inquiries concerning the striped
cucumber beetle, one OF the most
familiar garden insects and at the same
time one of the most destructive pests
with which growers have to contend.
This insect, often erroneously called the
squash Bug" 10 about two fifths OF an
inch long with two yellow and three
black stripes down the back. He fiies
freely when disturbed and is q voracious
feeder on the fruit ss we'll as the foliage
of the vine crops. Annually this pest
destroys many thousands of dollars
worth of these crops both by feeding on
the plants and by carrying to them the
wilt disease which often kills the vines
in midsummer. The standard remedy
in many sections of TIE state has been
the liberal uss Of lime, coal ashes and
road dust but IL 10 recognized by grow
ers that these only disturb the beetles
momentarily. II is the purpo,e OF this
letter TO discuss some OF the features OF
the control of this subtle insect.
The eggs are laid in the ground during
July and they hatch into small grubs
which feed on the roots Of the melon
family and finally turn into beetles.
Emerging from the ground In September
and early October, they congregate upon
the cucumbers, squash, melons, etc.,
remaining until after harvest time. Not
infrequently one finds small squashes
with many hundreds of the hungry bee
ties mining just beneath the outer rind.
They later crawl under boards, rubbish,
etc., and pass the winter. The same In
dividusls will appear again In numbers
next spring az soon a. the tender shoots
of cucumber, squash and pumpkin are
above ground and they remain well into
the sum msr feeding most OF the time on
the foliage of the plants. The striped
beetles which can be found now mining
in the squashes, cucumbers and pump
kins are the very same pests which will
appear next spring to destroy the young
vines.
The logical time to start the camgsign
against the striped cucumber beetle 10
during the last of October before they
90 into winter quarters. 1t Is common
practice to leave number OF damaged
or immature squashes In the field and on
these will generally be found great num-
bers of the beetles. II one goes into the
field early in the morning while the In
sects are still numb from the cold, the
souashes can be placed In . pail and
taken to the house. Boiling bot water
poured over the squash will kill the In
sscts. The squash should then be re-
placed 10 the field to catch others whicn
may have escaped. :.
During the spring another principle 10
utilized In controlling them. Wnen
they emerge from their long winter fas'
they are hungry and may be poisoned.
The most economical method of accom-
plishipg this.is TO drive them on to Few
vines which have been thoroughly Gov
sred with arseuate OF lead and by busting
air.slsked lime on the other plants IN
the field. II this method 10 thoroughly
carried out during the first week they
are feeding IN the spring, many OF tnem
will be destroyed. Later IN the season,
however, they become more dainty ano
refuse TO feed on sprayed foliage, taking
rather the new growth, so that the cult
yator 10 almost helpless unless ne agar
drives them on to few plants and tneI
kills both bugs and plants with q thor
ough drsnching early In the mornint
with kerosene. During the summer tn'
beetles sometimes migrate from ad]oin
inc farms and it Is greatly advsntageon'
for several cul,ivstors to cooperate u
driving out this otherwise persisten
enemy of the vine crops.