1908.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT- -No. 73. 165 



or else were destroyed by hand in great numbers below the 

 sticky bands on the tree trunks. In this case the experiment 

 worked out most satisfactorily. The gypsy moth was thoroughly 

 suppressed in this grove, and at a minimum expense. 



Careful observations made by Mr. C. W. Minott on 7 newly 

 hatched caterpillars in 1893 showed that they crawled from 36 

 .to 1-14 feet, with an average of 91 feet, without food before 

 being overtaken by death. 1 



In 1895, 50 newly hatched gypsy moth larvae were under 

 observation at the laboratory to determine the average length 

 of time spent in each stage of growth. Of 47 caterpillars that 

 molted once, the average time spent in the first stage was 18.4 

 days; 46 molted twice, average for second stage 6.8 days; 43 

 molted three times, average for third stage 6.95 days. These 

 observations previously of scientific interest only now have a 

 practical value since it has been shown that the first and second 

 stage caterpillars cannot survive on pine only. While the work 

 of cutting deciduous growth in the infested pine lands and the 

 banding of the trees should be done before the eggs hatch, it 

 may be continued to advantage up to the time of the second 

 molting of the caterpillars. Furthermore, the pine is but little 

 if at all injured by the ordinary banding materials, including 

 raupenleim and bodlime, materials that cannot always be used 

 with safety on thin-barked, hard-wood trees. 



The superintendent realizes that the data at hand both from 

 field and laboratory experiments are too small to warrant a 

 sweeping general conclusion at this time. The results obtained, 

 however, are most interesting and suggestive. It is greatly to be 

 hoped that they will be confirmed by the more extensive field 

 experiments now planned along this line for 1908. We plan to 

 treat several badly infested areas of coniferous woodlands by 

 cutting and removing hard-wood growths and shrubbery, band- 

 ing all remaining trees with sticky materials, and following up 

 the care of the bands diligently throughout the caterpillar 

 season. We are of the opinion that this plan will work out 

 satisfactorily; if so, a relatively simple and cheap means of 

 handling the moth problem in pine lands will be at hand. In 

 places where the growth is nmch mixed with hard-wood species, 



1 The Gypsy Moth, Forbush-Fernald, 1896, p. 310. 



