ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



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PHILADELPHIA, PA., MAY, 1911. 



DESTROYING THE GYPSY MOTH. 



Dr. W. E. Britton, State Entomologist of Connecticut, in his 

 report for the year 1910, gives a most interesting account of 

 his efforts to rid the State of the Gypsy Moth, discovered at 

 Wallingford in December, 1909. It is to be hoped that he has 

 eradicated this terrible pest in the locality mentioned. The 

 work was thoroughly done and nothing omitted that knowledge 

 and experience of the subject made possible. 



"While working in a tree, one of the men, Mr. R. W. Bol- 

 ton, observed a Gypsy caterpillar crawling along a telephone 

 cable which passed between the branches of the tree. This 

 method of spreading may account for the caterpillars appear- 

 ing in certain trees where all egg-masses had been destroyed 

 and a tanglefoot band placed around the trunk. Telephone 

 wires passed directly from infested trees into these described." 

 One egg-mass was said to contain 1,485 eggs. 



A summary of the work may prove interesting. Egg-masses 

 destroyed, 8234: trees banded with burlap. 10,000; trees band 

 ed with tanglefoot, 365 ; trees pruned, 904 ; cavities filled with 

 cement. 27; cavities covered with tin patches. 1050: caterpil- 

 lars destroyed at burlap bands, 8936 ; cocoons destroyed, 95 ; 

 number of trees found infested. 248 ; amount of lead arsenate 

 used, pounds, 768; tanglefoot used, pounds. 120; burlap used, 

 yards, 2493: number of men employed, maximum, 18; cost of 

 the work at Wallingford, $3823.24. 



If these insects had been left to their own devices the next 

 generation of moths would have produced over two hundred 

 millions of caterpillars. H. S. 



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