White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-06-01
STRAWBERRY WEEVIL

Reports have come to the office of
several fields of strawberries that
ale infected with strawberry root
weevil. We believe every grower
should carefully check his field for
damage by this pest and if any
insects are found treat the area in
fected with the weevil bait.
At about this time or possibly a
little later the adult weevil will
put in its appearance. This insect
is small, very dark brown insect
with distinct projection on the
head which looks like long snout
and hence. they are called sncut
beetles. From what we have seen
here we believe that the weevil is
from about "a to 3/8 of an inch
in length. When these emerge from
the ground they may be found if
they are abundant at all, by looking
carefully into the crowns Of the plants.
Only occasionally do they feed up
on berries and do any cnmage in this
way and once in a great while feed
upon the leaf surface. Fcobably as
easy way of determining whether
the weevil is present is to examine
the patch for plants which have
had good crop and then without any
apparent cause the entire plant has
dried up with the berries in a ripen-
ed condition. Digging up these plants
will show that the small rootlets have
been fed upon and almost destroyed
so that the plant is unable to function
because of the loss of roots. Digging
into the soil one will find small
white grub-lile worm with a pink
head. These will be about the size of
a kernel of rice e.: a little larger. One
may find instead of the grub-like
worm the young beetle which is. still
white but which upon careful examin-
alton one can easily tell is the period
in the life history when the insect
is changing from the grub or worm
stage to the beetle.
This insect has been one of the
main factors we understand in the
loss of large strawberry acreages
here in years past, and now that we
have a good remedy for the control
Of the insect it certainly would seem
wise for every grower to make a
careful examination of his field and
if the weevil in any stage are found
to be present make preparation for
treating the field or the area infected.
The treatment for the weevil is the
use of "Go-West," weebil bait which
has been perfected by Mr.. Forsell
who is now manufacturing this bait,
in Seattle. Mr.. Desgranges OF the
Big Y at Kennewick inor1ned lis that
he has supply of this bait on hand
for those who are needing it. The bait
is used as follows. At the time the
adult weevil energies, the weevil
moves around over the patch for
few Gays before the female begins
the egg laying, and it is during this
period that poison should be followed
SO it is important that poisoning be
done as soon as adult weevils can
be found in the Patch. The poison
should be worked down into the
crowns of the plants where it will
come close to the soil and be most
readily found by the weevil. There
is no danger of poisoning berries by
using this bait as we have eaten
berries from patches where it Las
been thoroughly poisoned with no
trouble at all.
Owing to the fact that the adult
OF this pest cannot fly but must get
around only by crawling it can read
lily be seen that thorough poison
ing of those areas or fields where it
may be found it is present may comp
letely eradicate the pest this year.
Experiments conducted with this
bait have found that the kill runs from
IS to 100 per cent where patches have
been well poisoned.
L. E. Davis, representing the c. M.
Kopp intt' ests at Wenatchee was
visitor !, the valley Tuesday.