Evening star., 1954-11-29
Insect Domoee in U. S.
81 Billion Every Yeor
Centennial Of Bitter Fight
Observed by EntomoIoeists
BY Thomas z. Henry

In each State of the Union this
month soldiers Of an unrecognized army
in an unsung war have been holding
division reunions" They are cele-
brating the battles they have won,
lamenting those they have lost.
They and their predecessors have
been fighting constantly for q hundred
years. They at least have been able
to hold the lines-perhaps even to
make some advances here and there
against an enemy potentially more
destructive and dangerous than any
hostile human nation or analgama-
ton of nations.
This enemy, according to the esti-
mates cited at these reunions, now
does more than 50 billion damage
every year In the United States alone.
It offsets the labors Of o million men.
This enemy is the world of insects
which. 1t frequently Is predicted. seems
The army" Is that Of the four to five
thousand entomologists In the Depart
ment OF Agriculture, universities and
State experiment stations. Just CEN
tury ago a Patent Office clerk was
given side job of surveying the prob
lem to see If anything could be done
about it.
The startling figures Of annual loss
were cited at national centennial
meeting here by DR.. A. L. Strand, presi-
dent OF Oregon State College. one Of
the world leaders In chronological
education.
The Pests and Their Toll.
Some Of the figures compiled for the
anniversary:
The horn fly. a pest of cattle, first
introduced from Europe in 1S87-an.
nual damage 500 million.
The corn earworm, major pest OF the
Nations major crop-annual damage
about $50 million.
European corn borer, first introduced
In 1917-annual damage about $S5
million.
Hessian fly, q serious wheat pest.
first introduced on straw bedding
brought to America by Hessian soldiers
during the Revolution. It still destroys
every year wheat valued at about $l6
million.
Boil weevil. pest Of cotton, introduced
from Mexico about 1892. In 1850 1t
caused damage estimated at $3.50 mil
lion.
The sum mounts rapidly toward the
81 billion figure as contributions Of
hundreds of other pests are added.
The estimates Of damage naturally
include only the observable physical
destruction Of plants. household goods
and food supplies. There can be no
assessment in terms of money of the
damage done to human health by
diseaSe-carrying insects. The worst Of
these was the malaria carrying mos
quito. 1t has been credited with de-
stroying-rather than the Goths and
Vandals-the civilization of Rome and
the highest of New World civilizations,
that of the Mayas of Yucatan. It
appears now, however, that this pest
is nearly eliminated In the United
States. Entomologists consider 1t one
of their greatest triumphs.
Most Kept Under Control
1t has been possible to wipe out only
few Of the destructive pests, but
1t has been possible to devise and
administer ! control measures which
keep most of them from devastating
outbreaks which would ruin COM
pletely major crop In any one year.
Effective poisons which can be applied
by airplanes over millions of acres
have been devised Natural insect
enemies of hostile bugs have been In.
troduced from all over the world
admittedly sometimes q dangerous pro-
cedure because the supposed allies
sometimes become enemies In turn.
Resistant plant species have been
bred. But the enemy remains about
as dangerous as ever, once battle lines
are relaxed in the slightest degree.
AS soon as one seems under control
another. perhaps hitherto quite un-
known. takes its place.
The little army of bug fighters con-
stitutes very thin line, indeed,
guarding the frontiers of mans do
nlinion over the world. Like all other
armies, 1t has it's troubles. Perhaps
the major one at present, DR.. Strand
emphasized in his address, is that of
recruiting. There is growing short
age of volunteers" The pay is low
and the service hard. But the great
est threat, the Oregon educator said,
is in the shortage of drill sergeants"
to educate and discipline recruits.
Men capable of this duty are kept In
the front lines by the ever-recurring
emergencies.