70 THE REPOET OP THE ^o. 36 



4. Jarring the trees, to collect the beetles that fall on sheets under the trees. 

 This method also is slow, and it is doubtful if the practice warrants the trouble 

 and expense, save with young apple trees and with plums and cherries. 



Farm Crop Insects. 



Grasshoppers and Blister Beetles. Grasshoppers and Blister Beetles appeared 

 in alarming numbers in August and September in many districts of the Eastern 

 Townships. The former swarmed in oat fields and the latter in clover and mangel 

 fields, and considerable loss was incurred. 



The increasing amount of permanent pasture land in Quebec furnishes undis- 

 turbed breeding grounds for grasshoppers. The eggs are laid in masses belov^ the 

 surface of the sod in late summer and early fall, and hatch the following spring. 

 As a rule, the young grasshoppers are not numerous, and confine their attention 

 to the pasture lands, but should conditions at any time favor their multiplication 

 they spread to the adjacent grain fields where food is more plentiful. It has often 

 been observed that grasshoppers are seldom abundant two years in succession. The 

 reason for this is that their very great abundance allows their numerous enemies 

 to multiply very rapidly. Among those enemies are : 



(1) Parasitic mites, bright red creatures often seen at the bases of the wings, 

 which not only suck the blood of their hosts, but also later destroy the egg masses. 



(2) Hair-ivorms, which live within the bodies of the grasshoppers and destroy 

 large numbers. 



(3) Tachina flies, whose maggots live within the bodies of the grasshoppers. 



(4) The young of Blister beetles, which devour the egg-masses in the ground. 



(5) Fungous diseases that often spread with great rapidity. 



It is quite probable, therefore, that grasshoppers will not be much in evi- 

 dence next year, and that there will be a rest from their ravages for a few years. 



It is possible to guard against such losses as have occurred this year, by 

 watching the pasture lands, and if grasshoppers are very numerous, it would be 

 advisable to make applications of poisoned bait in the pastures, if it is safe to 

 do so, along the edges of adjacent grain fields. This poisoned bait may be made 

 by mixing 1 pound of Paris green in 50 pounds of bran, made into a mash with 

 water and sweetened with cheap molasses. This is distributed in handfuls to in- 

 fested areas. In Manitoba a bait known as the Griddle Mixture is used with 

 great success. It is made by mixing 1 part Paris green, 2 parts salt, and 100 

 parts of horse manure. Enough water is added to make a soft, not sloppy, mash. 

 The mash is scattered over the field where the grasshoppers are thickest. 



Black Blister Beetles, called by the farmers "Blue Beetles," were quite des- 

 tructive this year on clover, mangels and beets. 



They are often found feeding on other plants, such as the golden-rod, aster, 

 pigweed, corn, beans and potatoes, and in the days before the arrival of the 

 Colorado Beetle, this and allied species were the main insect enemies of the potato 

 crop. 



The adults are soft-bodied, with long, slender legs. They occur from August 

 to October. The females deposit their eggs in the ground, and from these hatch out 

 active, long-legged larvge called " triungulius," that feed on the eggs of the grass- 

 hopper. 



It will be observed, therefore, that while the adult Blister Beetles are in- 

 jurious to some of our crops the young of these are decidedly beneficial. It is a 



