The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-07-06
THE JAPANESE BEETLE IN
CREAsEs IN CECIL COUNTY

The Department of Entomology,
S. Department of Agriculture are
continuing their program of control
and suppression of the Japanese
beetles, according to j. q. Miller,
County, Agent, Elkton, Md.
At present approximately 1850
traps have been set in Cecil county,
principally in the Elkton and Rich
etts Mill sections. Early in the
spring wasp like insects which de-
troys the Japanese beetles were lib
Grated near Elkton. 1t Is hoped
these will be effective in helping to
control the beetles.
In discussing the problem Mr..
Miller asserts that the beetle is a
pest of first rank To say it is a
new menace to agriculture in this
county is not over emphasizing it's
Importance. Only those living with
the pest can experience the realiza-
ton of it's destructive habits, but to
anticipate that all farm crops in the
wake of this insect will be destroy
ed would be rank folly. Such has
not proved to be the case. How
ever, in certain localities the order
of agriculture may be changed
New crops may have to be substi-
tued fro old ones and in many in
stances a heavy expense in the form
of control measures will be neces-
sity.
Mr. l.. H. Worthley of the U. s..
Department of Agriculture, in a re-
port on the development of the Jap
anese BEETLE in 1888 stated that a
: survey on damage from the beetle
J showed that in the heavily infested
areas average losses per acre for the
: following crops were: Field corn
, SIS, sweet corn $17.5O, apple orch
= ards $4,000 and peach orchards
S154.OO. Farmers doing general
: farming received an average loss of
$4,000 per farm or $1.76 per acre.
: Control practices cost the peach
: grower $3.50 per acre and the apple
grower $17.15 per acre. The year.
] ly cost for trapping, spraying and
, sod treatment on private estates.
DR.. George S. Langford, specialist
+. in Insect Control, University OF
OF roc
t spraying, and soil treatments are all
y being used for control. He added
2 that most plants can be protected by
/ keeping the foliage covered with a
2 spray consisting of six pounds of ar
? senate of lead, four pounds of -four,
: and one hundred gallons of water is
2 effective in protecting shade trees.
! Spraying should begin not later
, than June 25. Hydrated lime, six
| teen pounds in one hundred gallons
of water has repellent effect
, Lawns may be grub proffed by
: treating with arsenate of lear at the
rate of thirty-five pounds to each
J thousand square feet of surface.
: Anyone having a heavy infestation
of Japanese beetles should consult
J the county agent or a competent en-
: tomologist or some one who has had
experience with it before undertake
| ing an extensive control program.
The Japanese beetle occurs most
abundantly in New Jersey, eastern
Pennsylvania, eastern New York,
: and northern Delaware. 1t is also
known to be present or has been re-
} ported, from isolated points in the
: following states: Rhode Island,
/ Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia,
Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia,
South Carolina, Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Vermont and the District of
Columbia.
, The Japanese beetle makes its APP
, pearance during the latter part of
June and remains active until about
; the middle of August. 1t may be
recognized easily by it's metallic
, green head and thorax and bronze
wings 1t is about the size of the
potato beetle These beetles lay
eggs in the ground which hatch into
grubs that live in the ground and
feed on the roots of plants. There