1907.] THE GYPSY MOTH IN CONNECTICUT. I45 



TRAPPING CATERPILLARS. 



When small, the caterpillars remain on the leaves, but from 

 the time when they are nearly half-grown they feed only at 

 night, hiding during the day on the under sides of the branches, 

 in holes, or crevices in the bark. They seem to prefer dark 

 and sheltered places, doubtless to escape the attacks of birds, 

 predaceous beetles and other natural enemies. We take ad- 

 vantage of this habit to trap them by placing bands of burlap 

 about the trunks of the trees to make a hiding place for the 

 caterpillars. The burlap is cut into strips eight or ten inches 

 wide, fastened around the tree by a piece of wool twine placed 

 half way between the upper and lower edges of the burlap. 

 The upper edge is then folded downward over the lower edge, 

 covering the twine. The bands are examined each day, and 

 all caterpillars found under them destroyed. Over 1,300 trees 

 were banded in Stonington. 



BRUSH AND STONE WALLS A HINDRANCE. 



Stone walls constituted one of the greatest hindrances to 

 our work. Many of these were skirted with brush, such as 

 wild cherry', wild roses and bayberry, the caterpillars feeding 

 on the bushes and hiding in the walls out of sight. It was 

 necessary to cut and burn the brush, and some of the walls 

 were fired with oil to destroy the caterpillars. In four places 

 where the caterpillars transformed in the walls we had to over- 

 haul them in order to destroy the egg-masses. 



Some of the infested trees had rough bark, cavities, and 

 dead branches, all of which furnished hiding places for the 

 caterpillars. In order to make our work effective, it was 

 necessary to scrape and prune these trees, and cement up the 

 cavities. 



HOW THE PEST SPREADS. 



Though the female is provided with wings, her body is 

 heavy, and she does not fly. She rests on the bark of the tree, 

 and when disturbed may flutter a little in falling to the ground. 

 She is not able to lift herself from the ground to fly into a tree, 

 or even to fly horizontally for any distance. Hence the gypsy 

 moth would spread but slowly were it not carried from one 

 place to another. The male is a strong flyer, and goes about 



Agr. — 10 



