The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1923-05-25
CUTWORMS AND HOW 70
COMBAT THEM

COMBAT THEN
The name "cutworm" is commonl
applied to a number Of larvae (cater
pillars) or moths or millers that II.
at night. Nearly everyone Is familia
with the dark colored. dingy moth
that often become 4 nuisance be
cause Of their practise Of flying
around lights on summer evenings
Many Of these are the adults of cut
worms and because Of their night
flying habit and the fact that many
species have eyes that shine In the
dark they are popularity known as the
"owlet moths" Most cutworms, like
the moths that produce them, are &C
tive only at night. They remain hid
den beneath trash or just below the
surface of the soil during the day
and in the early evening or during the
night come forth to feed. They may
readily be found in the daytime by
stirring up the soil near plant
which has been recently cut off. In
alfalfa they are found In the soil near
the crowns of the plants or under
trash scattered over the field.
There are many different species
Of cutworms and generally more than
one species is present In every local
1ty. There are one or more broods
each year, the number varying with
the species and with climatic condi-
lions. The habits Of the various spec
les vary somewhat but are similar
enough in a general way that one
method Of control can be relied upon.
Eggs are usually laid on weeds, on
grasses or in loose soil in the early
fall, which, after a period of few
days hatch into small caterpillars
that feed to some extent during the
remainder Of the fall. Most cutworms
pass the winter as partly grown cat
erpillars and are protected in the
soil or under trash in the field. They
are rarely observed in the fall be-
cause they are small and their injury
is slight, owing to the fact that veg
citation is abundant and not easily
damaged. When the surface soil be-
comes warm in the spring, cutworms
resume activity, and often do severe
injury for by that time they have at
tanned considerable size and feed
greedily on new growing sprouts
starting in the field. It is common ex-
perience to observe field crops such
as alfalfa eaten back until they ap-
pear to be killed completely. Garden
plants or crops such as sugar beets
may be killed outright as result of
cutworms cutting off the young plant
at, or just below the surface Of the
ground. After caterpillars have be-
come full grown they cease feeding |
and burrow into the soil where they |
construct a hard shelled, brown CO.
coon in which they pass the pupal |
stage In the cocoons transformation
takes place, adult moths emerge and
soon lay eggs for the next generation
of cutworms.
A general cleanup Of weeds, volun-
teer vegetation, ditch banks, waste
corners, etc., is desirable in the late
summer and early fall as means Of
reducing favorable places for egg
laying. Cultivation Of fields in the
fall is also Of some value in prevent
ing egg-laying or in destroying eggs
that have already been deposited.
A Practical, Reliable Method of Con-
troll.
Poison bran mash scattered over
infected fields can be relied upon to
control cutworms effectively. The
formula follows:
Bran, rs lbs; white arsenic of Par
is Green, / h.; molasses Cheap
Blackstrap or beet) l qt.; lemons, 8;
Water, "a gallons.
and poison in dry form.
~ Mix together thoroughly the
bran and poison in dry form. ca
Make . solution of the molasses In
about two gallons OF water. (3) Grind
the lemons as fine as possible and
add them to about a gallon Of water.
a. Stir together thoroughly No. !
and No. 2, then add No. and mix the
entire mass. II more water 10 need {
cd It may be added but care should be
taken that Just enough water IL used
to make q coarse crumbly mash that 7
will separate into flakes when scat I
tered.
For the purpose Of practical con- I
troll work cutworms may be roughly +
divided into two general classes. ~ F
Those that are injurious to gardens, c
and spring planted row crops, such as G
sugar beets, and which generally are
occurring in the same G
fields year after year. (2) Those that
attack alfalfa or fall grains and
which, when food becomes scarce,
the migratory habit and are E