White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-09-18
FIND WAY TO FIGHT STRAW
BERRY PEST
Method of Killing Root Weevil
Proves Success in Lynden
District Fields

Proves success IN Lynden
District Fields
A remedy has been found at last
for the strawberry root weevil pest,
that has caused thousands of dollars
worth of damage in the Lynden dis
trict, and thruout other sections of
the Northwest.
H. B. Carroll, Jr,. county agricul-
tural agent, today sent out the fol-
lowing bulletin prepa.ed by Arthur
Frank, plant pathologist of the West
ern Washington Experiment Station
at Puyallup:
During the past twenty-five years
strawberry growing in western
Washington and also the western
part of Oregon and British Columbia
/ has been hindered by the activities of
] the insect pest known as the straw
berry root weevil. This pest works
on the roots of the plants in the-,form
of small white grub and these grubs
eat off the small roots. When the in
sccts are sufficient in numbers they
will kill the plants. A field becomes
infested to some extent the first year
and the insects usually incrdase in
numbers during the second year un-
j til the third year they entirely de-
| stroy the field. Each season the pest
/ has spread until it is now common
thruout the state and it does immense
damage by destroying large acreage.
The pest develops on the roots in
/ the form of grub. The eggs trans
form into beetles during the latter
cart of the harvest season and then
j the new beetles lay eggs in the soil
under the plants. The eggs hatch in
new grubs and these start work on
the plants. They lie inactive during
the winter but resume work in the
spring.
/ During the past twenty years or
so, much work has been done towards
developing a remedy for this pest.
Owing to the fact that the injurious
stage of the pest is active under
ground, satisfactory measures have
proven difficult Many devices and
/, many chemicals have been tried. The
only thing that has been Of any value
up to the present time has been the
use of rotation system; the use OF
quick acting fertilizers in the spring
on badly infested field, which only
slaves off the end for while (the
effect is to produce new roots quickly
to replace those eaten off by. the
4 worms;) and the use Of an oil or
tanglefcot barrier about the fields.
While the barrier is very effective
method of keeping the beetles from
entering newly planted field and
will keep them out of the field if the
barrier is properly maintained it has
not come into general use on account
of the cost of installing and looking
after it. No other remedy of any value
has been offered until this season.
This season, M. ]. Forsell, of Seat
tie has perfected a poison bait, which
when put on the strawberry plants
in the summer will attract the beetles
and induce them to feed and will kill
them. Mr.. Forsell has been working
on this problem fot about four years.
He first conceived the idea of bait
material and then began search for
some material the beetles would feed
on.
Z. Normally, the beetles do very little
feeding. After discovering such a
substance he then tried various poi
son until he found one that the in
sects would take invariably and that
would kill them. In addition, Mr.. For
sell, found that in the case of this
weevil, as is often the case with this
class Of insects, that the sense of
smell is strongly developed. He ex-
perimented with an attractant chem
ical to add to the bait and found one
which serves the purpose well.
Trials of the bait during the pas,
; two seasons gave very excellent re-
suits but Mr.. Forsell decided to try
. the bait this season yet before put
. ting it on the market. This season
trials were made at the Western
Washington Experiment station and
at other points thru the Puyallup val
, ley. The bait was placed on the crowns
- Of infested strawberry plants. A few
:, days later counts showed the beetles
were all killed. These tests were made
and the counts were made by enton1.
ologists of the western Washington
Experiment station and also of the
main Experiment station at Pullman
!, The method of applying the bait is
to throw about half a tablespoonful
into the crown of each plant. This
In very few days time the beetles
tlldI dIC III Tic ACAQ dAS oil 0Cdu. i AAS
cost of the use of this method of de.
stroying the weevil will be less thar
now in use according to Mr.. Forsell
: MI. Forsell plans to make the bal,
available in each county next season
|. thru the Fruit Canneries, so the grow
ers may receive it at reasonable cost
The discovery and perfection oil
!, this bait marks an important horti
cultural step in the fruit industry Of
the state as the weevil had become
SO bad in many places that it bads
fair to wipe out the strawberry grow.
: ing industry entirely in badly infected
,. districts.
, A vety successful demonstration
has been carried out on the o. l.
, Sheets farm near Lynden by County
Agent II. B. Carroll, Jr., and it is
. hoped that the growers of this coun.
, ty will investigate this serious straw.
berry pest. = Lynden Tribune.