152 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 2 



spring has opened up. Almost any place, from a haystack to dead 

 leaves along- an irrigation ditch, will attract them. 



Many live over winter in haystacks, either coming directly on foot 

 from the surrounding infested area or l)eing carried on liayracks dur- 

 ing August. Others find their way to the edges of the field and crawl 

 beneath dead leaves or grass along fence rows and ditch-banks. Still 

 others, especially in old alfalfa fields, crawl down between the bases 

 of the stems of the larger plants and remain well protected. 



In June I have seen large numbers of the larvse on hay racks after 

 unloading at the stacks or barns. While the larva will never be 

 freely distributed in this manner there are always some that are so 

 nearly full grown that they will pass through the rest of their changes 

 in the protection of the stack or in some sheltered spot near where 

 they have dropped from the wagon. 



Coming out of hibernation early in the spring, they feed upon the 

 young leaves to a very slight extent. Eggs are soon laid and where 

 the infestation is at all heavy (that is, where they have been present 

 at least one year) the first crop will be nearly ruined. Cutting this 

 at the usual time shakes the larvae to the ground and as they are not 

 nearly full grown, they crawl back to the plants, and the result is 

 the second crop has no opportunity to grow, every bud and leaf being 

 cut off until the larvae are full grown and pass to the ground to pupate. 



Injuries 



The weevils feed on the stems, rasping off a small amount of tissue, 

 and on the leaves and buds. They never do much harm, but where 

 plentiful the injury can be readily detected. The young larvge feed 

 in the growing tip, on and between the young opening leaves, buds and 

 even flowers. As they grow older they work their way on the larger 

 and older leaves and often completely defoliate the plant. Where 

 young larvae are compelled to feed on the older leaves they only skele- 

 tonize the foliage. This often gives the plant the appearance of hav- 

 ing been frosted, the color, however, being whiter than that following 

 frost injury. 



Remedies 



No very satisfactory means has yet been devised for handling the 

 insect. It can be checked and its spread somewhat limited by several 

 operations. Different conditions and soils will require different treat- 

 ment. Poisoning can scarcely be resorted to since it means an entire 

 loss of the crop and would be a costly measure. Burning over the 

 fields in the fall before it is cold enough to drive the weevils to hiberna- 

 tion kills a large number. By scattering straw over fields in the spring 



