Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1923-02-21
By Farm Advisor e. L. Garthwaite /

6y dT III fAuNlSOE Il. LII 6ttA tAW iltc
Every year just at the time the
buds are swelling on grape vines
numerous complaints Gene in to the
Agricultural Extension Service that
beetles are doing an enormous
amount of damage to grapes by
chewing out the young buds. Grape
growers all over. the county should
Immediately examine their vine
yards for signs of these beetles and
start at once to take preventative
measures.
These beetles can oe found in the
ground around the vines, or under
the bark during most of the day.
Their destructive work is carried ON
at night and in the early morning
and late early afternoon.
While at least Tour different
beetles have been reported as doing
the damage, namely, the black
darkling ground beetle, the small
elongated leaf beetle, tie striped GU
cumber beetle and the adult of the
wire worm or snap beetle, very prob
ably the two former cause the dam
age, while the two latter just happen
to be on the ground or in the vines.
Four KINDS o. Beetles
According to Prof. E. o. Essigi
University of California, the black
darkling ground beetle (Evrynstep7
on abnore Leo.) are about Il inch
long and Is inch wide, and dull
black color. The larvae look very
much like the wire worms.
The small elongated leaf beetle,
(myochrous tongues Leo.) are small,
elongated, with bright metallic
bronze bodies, the backs being GOV,
cred with fine light scales giving
them a decided grayish appearance.
The striped cucumber beetle dis
brodicata trivittata Mannarbein) is
about % inch long. the wing COW
erings being a pale yellow with
three black longitudinal stripes. The
body is shiny black.
The adults of the sugar-beet wire
worm (Limonius Californious Man
narbein) are olongate, dark brown
and covered with fine hair They
average about 2-5 inch long and
about 1-3 that wide. In general it
is the larvae of these beetles that do
the great damage.
Methods Of Control
There are several methods of con-
troll which have been found success
full, the use of mechanical preventa-
tives, the use of sprays or dusts, and
the use of poison mash.
A four inch band of coarse absorb
/ ent or gin cotton tied around the
trunk of the vine so that the BEETLES
in trying to get around the cotton
fall back onto the ground, has help
ed. Another trick is to take 4 inch
band of tanglefoot, or band of
/ cardboard ~smeareG with axle grease
| and tie it around the trunk Of the
vine.
| The busting Of vines with an ar
senate of lead nicotine sulfate dust,
being sure that plenty of dust gets
on the buds or small leafs, will be
very helpful. Another good spray
| formula to use is:
Bordeaux Mixture average
strength.)
Bluestone .............................,l6 pounds
Quickline .-.-.-...-.-......-...-....---20 pounds
Water -................,.....,.,.20 200 gallons.
Dissolve the bluestone and slack
the lime in separate watts, the blue
stone to be kept from contact with
| all metals except copper. Thor
oughly mix the dissolved bluestone
with onehalf the water and Stacked
lime with the other half. Run the
two mixtures together in single
stream into the spray tank through
fine screen. For convenience, the
mixing watts may be placed on an
elevated platform, and the two parts
mixed as they are flowing into the
spray tank. The milk of lime should
be continuously stirred during the
mixing.
A third formula used successfully
, consists of:
! Dry basis lead arsenate [paste, 6
to 10 pounds) 212 to ) pounds.
Water ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS gallons
Dry or powdered lead arsenate
/ contains twice as much arsenic as
the paste, therefore use only one
half as much of it,
Marked success has followed the
use of poison bran mash. One for.
mula consists of the following:
.7...a.l