Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-10

Moth appeared In the East causing
great damage to the treesS in the
parks, 1t was feared that 1t would
cause serious damage to the trees OF
the country, but, the native birds are
plentiful enough to keep it in check.
Yhe American Silk Worm Is the. larg.
est and hungriest OF our caterpiilars.
OF 1t shouldsbe more plentiful a Great
deal of damage would result; but It
never does reach q destructive height
because 1t is eaten by birds.
A man engaged In the growing Of
silk worms at BEDFORD, Mass, has
considerable trouble due to. the large
number of Robins that came from al
quarters to destroy them. :a'
When settlers first came to the
prairies there was few birds. Insect
pests were brought. over on young
trees n increased rapidly. Insects
became so plentiful that it was almost
impossible to raise trees I. and the
leaves of entire groves OF trees were
eaten off. Soon birds came and the
groves and orchards were almost
freed of. insects. .t54.7
Birds are in a good position to con
troll insects. as their powers Of flight
enable them to reach places where
that a large number Of ~grasshoppefs
attracts a large number Of birds, LIT
Is a very difficult n1atter to determine
the number of. insects killed BY In
d1v1dual birds in a given. period OF
time; 1t is sufficient to- know that
birds are Kept very l.. busy during
breeding season feeding their young;
SO busy that their plumage is worn
and they areS.greatly Weakened. It
requires a great. deal Of work to keep
their young sufficiently su ppried.
There is: hardly q single group Of
insects that does not supply one Or
more. species of birds with food.
Woodpeckers pry eggs and. larvae
from their burrows In THE trees. sone
sparrows. quail and partridges scratch
insects that occur in the gtound.
Warblers and viroes scan every. leaf
and tWig. fly catcherss watch for prey
IN all swtfths. fwalioxss whip
poorwhills and martina eat the flying
insects: SO that insects are controls
Cd quite WE'LL where: birds are: plenh-
rul but where birds are scarce other
can must. be employed to reduce
their number. 10y
Monteomery Of the U. OF Texas ex-
ahmed the stomachs, OF birds and
found that on the average they con-
tanned about one hundred insects Sof
various sizes, mostly, caterpillass So
3 illustration of how effective
birds are in the control of INSECTS
Is given by F.. A.. Samuels of, Mass.
who says that he noted three full
grown rose bushes in a green houise
infested with 1000 plant lice; these ne
claims We're all consumed in a few
hours BY a. single tit mouse. He. also
Kept his green house free from plant
lice by means OF & few native spar
rows. ).
In orchards aphids or plant lice
are very numerous and birds attack
them from choice. One yellow
throat was seen to, eat SO aphids in
one minute and.to keep this up for 40
minutes. CaterpfHars are among the
worst enemies of trees and where
they are numerous they make UP
abouts2-3 Of the food of birds. r. r.
Felt, state Entonrologist. OF New
York says that the best way to keep
c%aterpiliars in check is by means Of
the birds their natural enemies.
Observations by Mosher Of Mass,
show that birds eat a large number Of
caterpillars. "A black billed cuchoo
was seen to eat SO forest tent cater
pillars in 5 minutes. He also noted
that red eyed viroes probably a pair,
took 81 forest tent caterpillars from
a tree in IN hour. They were also
eating span worms. aphids and other
timore oriole was seen to go into a
tree infested by tent caterpillars,
WEI ne staye ! anu killing IL
caterpiilar In that time; coming q
little later1.he stayed . minutes and
took ~ aterpiliars IN that time; a
pair OF blue a came to q tree -
ZINES dnrins . hours taking 2 or 3