June, '21] LARRIMER: GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET REPELLENTS 259 



GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET REPELLENTS^ 



By Walter H. Larrjmer, Scientific Assistant, U. S. Bureau of Entomology, West 



LaFayette, hidiana 



'Published by permission of Secretary of Agriculture. 



Much has been done to secure a bait with which to poison grasshop- 

 pers and crickets and as evidence of creditable results obtained, we 

 have poison bran mash with various attractive agents enough to suit 

 the conditions of most any locality as well as the fancy of any par- 

 ticular entomologist. 



For several years there has been much trouble experienced by far- 

 mers in widely separated localities from grasshoppers and crickets cut- 

 ting the bands of the sheaves while the grain is in the shock. In the 

 case of grasshoppers this trouble could be prevented by poisoning the 

 -nsects in question before the grain is cut but unless this procedure were 

 practical for other reasons a more suitable remedy is to be desired. 

 Since so much effort seems to have been necessary to secure a suitable 

 attractive poison bait, it would naturally be expected that a suitable 

 repellent could easily be found which might be applied to binder twine 

 to prevent this damage. Since records on this subject are so rare and 

 brief in Orthoptera Hterature, it seems desirable to include here all ref- 

 erences which can be found. 



Criddle. Report of Canadian Experimental Farms 1884-1904. Report of En- 

 tomologist, 1903. Page 174. 



"Some damage was caused from locusts eating binder twine; very few had blue- 

 stoned the twine, and we have now been able to demonstrate without a doubt that 

 some brands of binder twine are much more subject to attack than others. Wheth- 

 er it is that certain brands are made of different materials or that they are loos- 

 er than others, I cannot say ; but the twine which was most attacked is very loosely 

 twisted." 



Howard. U. S. D. A., Div. Ent. Bui. No. 30, page 94. 



"Insect injury to binding twine:- We have received several complaints of in- 

 jury by crickets and grasshoppers to binding or binder twine, which we are informed 

 is used for stacking small grain in the field, a lemedy oi preventive being desired. 

 During May 1901, Mr. I. D. Sheaffer, Russell, Kansas, and Miss Annette Bowman, 

 Moscow, Idaho, wrote in regard to such injury. These are only two of several 

 complaints. In no cases have we received specimens of the insects, nor have we 

 been able to suggest any substance that would kill the insects or deter them from 

 attacking the twine that would not at the same time be dangerous to those hand- 

 ling it. Poisons, of course, could not be used, and sticky substances would also 

 be objectionable, although of course, they would prevent injury by the insects." 

 Gibson & Criddle. Canadian Department of Agriculture. Crop Protection Leaf 



let. No. 6. Page 3. 



"Damage to Binder Twine In the Prairie Provinces considerable injury, 

 some years, has been caused by locusts, as well as crickets, eating binder twine 



