The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-03-27
THE ELM LEAF BEETLE.
Gaining Control in Southern and West
ern Vermont--Manner of Control.

ern Vermont--Manner of Control
The elm leaf beetle demands the Sc
rious attention of all those interested
in the protection of the fine elms in
the towns and villages of large sec
! ton of Vermont, and the Vermont de-
| partment of agriculture has just sent
out a circular describing it, its habits,
! the damage it does and the way to
I control it.
Last summer the rsvages of the in
sect showed a marked increase and
one New Hampshire town suffered a
veritable scourge of the pest. In Yer
mont the beetle 80 far has been noted
in Windsor, Springfield, Bellows Falls,
Saxtons River, Brattleboro Pownal,
| Bennington, Salisbury, Poultney.
Rutland and Middlebury. No spread of
the insect has been noted during the
past six years above Windsor in the
Connecticut river valley, nor away
from the larger valleys into the towns
of higher altitude, even in the south
ern part of the state. 1t has advanced
northward along the Otter creek val
ley and ii may be expected to pro
During the winter the beetles hide
themselves away under loose bark
scales, within cracks in poles, posts,
etc, and quite frequently in attics
and unused rooms OF buildings into
which they work their way around
the windows. They are of yellowish
color, with a dark stripe down each
wing cover, and about a quarter of an
inch long, As soon as leaf buds be-
gin to open the beetles appear from
their winter quarters and begin feed,
ing on the leaves.
Elm is the only food plant of this
insect. 1t il the skeletonizing of the
leaves by the larvae which severely
damages the trees. Often every leaf
is affected, many curl up and drop off, /
while others which remain on are of i
no value in supporting the life of the
tree. Two such attacks as this gen.
orally suffice TO kill tree. Often par
tial defoliation causes certain branches J,
to die. and lesser attacks tend con-
stantlv to weaken the tree and render
il non resistant to other insects and
diseases.
Only two measures are known with
which to combat this insect, spraying
the trees with poison or destroying
the pupae and pupating larvae at the
base of the trees. Public authorities
may help by the first method and in
dividuals by the second.
Arsenate of lead, four or five pounds
Of the paste to 30 gallons of water, is
the right proportion for the spraying |
- -
cad is used, only half as much is need /
ID as of the paste. Arsenate of lime .
IS a good substitute and Is cheaper
han lead. Begin spraying as soon as
he leaves start. One spraying might
suffice, but it is better TO use a second
alter on. As the beetles feed on the :,
Inder side of the leaves the spray !
must be directed there. /,
As to destroying the pupae, at Keene,
\. H.. where the pest was extremely
plentiful in 1919, they were literally
wept up from the bases of the trees
md burned, a quart being sometimes
ound about one tree. It was estimated
" the authorities that eight or ten
'arrels of the insects were thus de- !
troved. The leaves were raked and !
l..
traggling beetles in various stages =
spraying the trunks and adjacent
round with kerosene emulsion or other
ontact insecticides such as nicotine
olutions would do good work, but
reat care must be taken in such ap-
cations not to use so much material
hat the roots of the tree will be in o
ired. Boiling water has been recon- n
lended for the purpose. On warm days J.
! early spring, many adults might be u
illed about attic windows. OF
Besides the fact that the elm is pre- :
minently a shade tree, several other
actors combine to make this beetle
hadc tree pest; for generally il is
nlv on city or village streets and
arks that many elms stand closely
,gether. and while the insect IS found
a elms scattered throughout the conn
v districts, it, attacks there are less
,ncentrated Also. insectivorous birds
re few in the larger communities; and
i'll further, there presumably is a low
percentage of mortality among the
iults in the secure winter quarters
forded by close rows of buildings
ong the streets than is the case where
,rk crevices are principally resort
TO.
Several villages within the infested
ctions have already procured power |
Iraving outfits. When not spraying
e public trees. these machines are op- ]
ated upon private property az cost
the owners. This appears TO be the
ost practicable method Of handling
e situation.
Public authorities should sec to the
strIction Of the insects AZ the bases
public trees. a. has been explained.
a should encourage private owners
trees to do the same