Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-26
Garden Pests

OdI UCll L CSCS
Practically all insects are CLASH
fed as having chewing or sucking
mouthparts and the methods of con-
troll for these groups are entirely
different.
The aphis or plant louise is BY far
the most common and most trouble
some garden insect of the sucking
type with which we must contend.
1t attacks a great number of garden
plants but the methods of control
are quite similar for all.
The aphis or plant louise can be
found on the following plants al
most every year: cabbage. cauli-
flower, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi,
collard. kale, broccoli. rape, turnip,
radish. pea, spinach, muskmelon,
watermelon. squash, potatoes. beans
and a great many wild plants and
weeds which commonly grow in and
near the garden. Some of these
lice, as the pea aphis. spend a por-
ton of their life cycle on clover
plants or weeds SO it is readily seen
that the destruction of all weeds
aids in the control of these pests.
The life cycle. method of eating.
appearance of affected plants and
other peculiarities of one of these
may aid us in understanding their
control more thoroly. In this case
we will describe that louise which
feeds on cabbage and caulihower
! [ have heard this question asked
over and over again. where do
the insects come from and how do
they live over from year to year,"
When the winters are severe the
cabbage aphis lives over the winter
only in the egg stage. farther south
many of the lice themselves sur
vive the winter.
The small, black shiny eggs may
be found on the under sides of cab
bage leaves left in the garden over
winter. Early in the spring the
eggs hatch and the young lice find
food in the tender sprouts thrown
out by the old cabbage stumps.
The first generation Matching from
these eggs are wingless females
and reach maturity in about two
weeks. They then give birth to liv-
ing young. Reproduction continues at
such rapid rate that during one
season as many as twenty genera
tons of lice are born.
Almost all lice are grayish green
or green in color and covered with
a whitish waxy bloom From time
to time when the food supply be-
comes limited either from over
crowding or from some injury to
the plant. winged forms are de-
veloped which fly to other plants
and start new families Cabbage
plants often become infested in the
seed beds or very soon after trans
planting. The lice soon become
closely packed together in dense
masses often hiding the leaf from
view. The leaves curl, sometimes
forming deep pocketlike depressions.
the inner surface of which is COM
pletely covered with lice. They also
cluster in the forming head. Badly
infested plants cease to grow, the
larger leaves die the heads do not
develop and in some cases the plant
is killed outright-sometimes whole
fields of peas are destroyed in this
way. In such cases, the ground
has a whitish appearance from the
old cast-off skins of the lice. Late
in the fall true males and females
are produced. After pairing. the
female deposits. her eggs on the I'M
der surface of the leaves where we
find the new young lice appearing
the following spring.
The measures used for the con-
troll Of all these aphids or lice are
quite similar as they are all suck
ing insects and have soft succulent
bodies. Although they are easily
killed when hit by the dust or spray
of nicotine sulphate solution, 1t is
difficult to control them thoroly as
they are protected in the curled
leaves where 1t is difficult to hit
them their bodies are covered with
a white, WaXy bloom so that the
spray does not readily wet them;
and as they occur in dense masses
or colonies considera BILE force is re-
CURED in order to reach those be-
meath the others. Efficient work
can be done by spraying with nico-
tine sulphate in the proportion of
two teaspoonfuls of the poison to
one gallon of water, or by busting
the plants with a dust cmposed of
two percent nicotine sulphate and
80 percent land plaster air-slaked
lime. or other fine dust. Effective
prepared spray mixtures may also
be bought for eradicating these
pests. The first application should
be made as soon as the lice begin
to cluster on the young plants
Also remember that each individual
louise must be hit with a particle of
dust or spray in order to be killed.
cabbage. caulif1ower and some of
the other vegetable plants have
very slick, bloomy foliage to which
sprays fail to stick. To prevent
this, add piece of soap (about one
inch cube to every three or four
gallons Of spray) and allow this to
dissolve thoroly.
Another member Of the sucking
type which is serious turnout the
whole United States on squashes,
melons and cucumbers is
a large brownish bug that has a
mighty offensive odor and hence Is
known as the stink bug or squash
bug. These insects live over the
M q in LII l. IL