Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-07-22
ASH-GRAY BEETLES
ON POTATOES; SEQUEL
TO GRASSHOPPERS

orono, Me-, July A.-The following
was issued this afternoon from the
ONCE Of Charles D. Woods, director
of the Maine Agricultural Expert
fnent station:
Every recent mail has been bring
ing to the Maine Agricultural Elk
pertinent Station packages Of tidy
looking, slender, ash-gray beetles
CHARGED with the crime of devouring
potato leaves. There is no use at
tempting to deny the charge as any
one can testify who has seen these
rascals at work. But in spite Of the
damage th.y do (Which seems serious
enough with potatoes at s1.25 more
| or less a peck) these beetles are not
all bad. They spend short time in
the adult stage feeding upon leaves
Of various plants. II these happen to
be weeds the farmer makes no pro-
| test but when the leaves belong to
his bean, beet, or potato plants he
begins to ask for control measures.
Before suggesting remedial meas
ures it is only fair to the beetle to
give an account of it's hidden service
to agriculture which occupy its long
time Of growth previous to it's COM
ing forth to reward itself with a good
meal of leaves.
To begin with it should be stated
that complaints against this beetle
come only from those parts of the
State that have in recent years been
| hoppers. Well, these beetles are the
remedy. A remedy more destructive
| to the potato crop than the grass
hoppers themselves. In fact they re-
mind US of the saying, Beware of a
| wish, for it may be fulfilled" Not
that wishing for a grasshopper
remedy really brings the beetles.
They come as a natural sequence on
the trail of the grasshopper for their
young Feed upon the grasshopper
eggs. The more numerous grass
hoppers become the more plentiful
their buried nests of eggs; the more
plentiful their eggs, the more abun-
dant becomes the food for the young
blister beetles, the more food for tho
young beetles the greater their
chances of developing in large mum.
bers.
Thus we. have this year in those
parts of the State that have beer
overrun with grasshoppers for sew.
eral seasons, what we nearly always
nave under such conditions: ash.
gray blister beetles, having eater
their fill of grasshopper eggs, COMING
forth to celebrate in the potato
patch!
II the owners Of said potatoes still
wish. a method of blister beetle con
troll after learning that these insect.
are among the most effective of tn,
natural controls for grasshoppers W.
suggest the following:
1. Arsenical poisons will kill tn,
beetles. So = rapidly do they feed
however. that it is often the cas-
that the plant is stripped before tn
beetles are dead. Paris green. bein.
quicker poison than arsenate o
lead has some advantage in this re
spect.
z. Driving the beetles from tn,
neid can be done by several peonl,
walking with branch brushes wbicI
they swing before them. The beetl :,
move readily and, though a pecu,ia
netnod, this is a perfectly practice
control when the beetles are ver
numerous They are usually drive
70 layer Of straw alongside tn
heio which is then set af1re.
II IL not the purpose of this 1ette
10 oner advice as to whether VI
oiister beetles should be killed TN
man With a potato field fast heir,
oeVoured by beetles and with no cro
the grasshoppers would much nor
ace will probably poison the baetle.
Inc people who for severa, voon
49,, nave seen the grasshoppe
ioroes increase at the expense q
nay TAT $40 toni will hesitate
inc fact should be borne IN min
mat each female blister hectic ,,;r
given her life. lay about soo .nas
1ne larvae Matching from tho 90
OF strong colony OF bloster h.st,.,
wih 30 far toward extern,,ra,
inc erasShoppers in a given v,.,n,t,
oy the effective process, ~ a..,nn ,'s
grasshopper eggs. '"'s TN
:. ",.er the crop Of ,grasshopper egg,
diminished through the efYor,s o.
hungry grubs of the hIi,t.
oeeties' the blister beetles thsms.;' 49,
ule out by the simple process np ~. g
ation: no srasshopper eggs M co.,
~. me iarval blister beetles, This :,
~. ns reason why a blister beetle a.
JACK Is an infrequent event T. :,
possible only where rrasshorn..'
nave been lawfully" thick o,,sn .
reI1oo OF years long enough 70 DIV,
the blister beetles a chance =. sr'
velop in large numbers 20 oe
80 90 inc situation may be sumn.,
s ~ as: Blister beetles or grass.
hopperS?-that Is thu c,...,