The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-12-30
INSECT
COST U. 5. two
BILLION A YEAR
North Carolina Paying Its
Proportionate Share,
Experts State
8y GENE KNIGHT
Extension Service

insect pests, one oil mankinu
r,ont ncysisrent enemies, collect
20 O0O 600. 900 in tribute from the
American rc0p'e each year, the
U. S. Department. of Agriculture
Citizens of North Carolina are
having their pToportionate share
of royalty to these robbie" barons
Of the insect world, declared {. II.
Brannon. extension ENTOMOLOGY
ot state College. Millions of dol
lars by the cotton boil weevil' the
bean beetle, the tobacco flea
hectic. the corn borer, the pecan
trec-girler, and hundreds of OTTER
insects. go =,
. Annually the boil wecvil causes
an average loss Of about $500,
600 900 in the south, yet, pointed
out Erannon, a large number OF
farmers are content to neglect
wecvil control and humbiy accept
that which the insect leaves.
To show the Importance of con-
trolling this enemy of the cotton
CROP. the cntom6loGist explained
how q single boil wccvil may pro-
Guce i2,5O0,000 descendants in a
single season.
Then there arc other insects
which breed even faster than the
boil wcevil. For instance, SAID
Blannoyl. single house fly under
deal conditions may have 6,OOO,-
OCO.OO0.000 descendants in one
season.
Parasites and other insect encm-
les exert a tremendous check in
some instances. If there were no
parasites, a cabbage aphid could,
theoretically, produce progeny
amounting TO the staggering total
Of 5G4,0S7,257,154,652 in one
season. These would weigh ST.
100000 tons or ten times the
weight of the entire population OF
of the earth.
DISEASE CARRIERS, TOO
Among the many dread diseases
spread by insects are typhoid
fever, malaria. yellow fever, bu-
bonic plague, sleeping sickness,
and cholera, Brannon pointed out.
The American government com
pleted the gigantic task of build
ing the Panama Canal only after
mosquitoes which carried yellow
fever and malaria were controlled.
The French government which
first started the canal, was fore
ed to abandon the project after
the loss of thousands of men from
yellow fever borne by mosquitoes.
Insects attack practically every
thing which is grown declared
the entomologist. Growers must
protest most of their crops from
this damaging horde. Those who
do not realize the Importance OF
protecting their crops will soon
find that they cannot compete
with those growers who do.
"Insect pests are here to stay
and are increasing each year;
therefore, it behooves everyone to
give close attention to insect con-
troll. All poisons are not suitable
for application on all plants OF in
the control of all pests. Use the
right poison in the right amount,
with proper application at the
right time"
Many homes, hotels, and rcstau-
rants are constantly annoyed by
reaches and silver fish. According
to Brannon, reaches can be eXter-
minated quickly and easily
through the use of sodium flour
ide. This compound, which may
be purchased az any good drug
store, should be Sprinklcd LIBERAL
" around the base boards of the
kitchen and pantry OF any room
where the pests are found. A
second application should be made
two or three weeks after the first
in order to kill reaches Matching
from previously laid. Additional
applications should be made at Il
later time if necessary.
To control silver fish, sodium
flouride should be mixed with
wheat flour at the rote of one
part sodium Flouride to six parts
of wheat flour, Brannon advised.
Mix these materials thoroughly
and scatter in closets chests, OF
other places where the siler fish
have been noticed.
Since sodium Flouride is poison
Gus, it should not be placed where
children or farm birds and animals
would have access to it.
PECAN BUG is COSTLY
Another insect which is doing
an enormous amount of damage
in North Carolina each year is the
pecan twig-girdler, declared the
entomologist. In addition to at
lacking pecan trees, this insect
pest also thrives on hickory, per-
simmOn, and similar trees.
Most people are familiar with
the injury, but the insect causing
the damage is seldom seen. These
beetles range from one-half to
five-eights of an inch in length
and have long feelers. After
gnawing around a twig, they lay
eggs in the bark. After the twig
falls, either from it's own weight
or from the action of the wind.
Most OF the damage is done in
August and September, but these
beetles continue their operations
until cold weather.
Inc only control known for this
pest is the gathering and burning
Of cut twigs in the foil or winter.
PECAN trees growing near hickory
or perslmmon are usually found to