April, '19J RICKER: GRASSHOPPER BAITS 195 



the vicinity of Janesville, where the writer was temporarily located, 

 and where conditions afforded an opportunity to test different com- 

 binations of poison bait under varying climatic conditions. The 

 results thus obtained indicate that certain changes in the present stand- 

 ard formula might be made to advantage, that climatic conditions 

 play an important role in the efficacy of poison baits, and that mature 

 and immature grasshappers are attracted to odorous baits unequally.^ 

 While the results are not conclusive and do not warrant changes in 

 recommendations, they show definite tendencies which we believe 

 should be taken into consideration by entomologists who contemplate 

 grasshopper experiments a following season. - 



Attractiveness of Different Baits 



In one series of four experiments made August 29, to determine the 

 relative attractiveness of various baits, fifteen combinations based 

 upon the standard formula (bran, fruit, molasses, water and poison) 

 were tried, but each contained a different attractive element. These 

 experiments were conducted simultaneously at four points in an equally 

 infested field of barley stubble, each at least a quarter of a mile apart. 

 The baits were placed in small piles, containing about half a hand- 

 ful, six feet apart, and the application completed by 7 a. m. Obser- 

 vations were made at half-hour intervals from 8 a. m. until 3 p. m., 

 and include a record of the number of grasshoppers and crickets 

 either actually feeding, or within a radius of six inches of the pile. 



The combined results of these experiments are as follows: apples 

 alone, 71 hoppers and 37 crickets; molasses and bananas, 53 hoppers 

 and 30 crickets; molasses alone, 52 hoppers and 48 crickets; bananas 

 alone, 46 hoppers and 23 crickets; salt alone, 45 hoppers and 33 crick- 

 ets; molasses and apple, 40 hoppers and 30 crickets; lemon fruit, 38 

 hoppers and 25 crickets; lemon extract, 38 hoppers and 41 crickets; 

 molasses and salt, 32 hoppers and 14 crickets; molasses, salt and lemon 

 extract, 31 hoppers and 40 crickets; molasses, salt, and lemon fruit, 

 31 hoppers and 30 crickets; salt and bananas, 27 hoppers and 35 crick- 

 ets; molasses and lemon extract, 20 hoppers and 34 crickets; with 

 molasses, salt and apple coming last in this series with a total in three 

 of the four experiments of 19 hoppers and 5 crickets. This last obser- 

 vation of apple with salt and molasses is not comparable with the other 

 results for in one experiment this bait was omitted by mistake, and 



*In the vicinity of Janesville, Wis., Melnnopliis femur-rubruni, M.atlanis, and M. 

 biritattus predominated, and nearly all were nearly mature at the time of tlie experi- 

 ments. 



'The writer wishes to acknowledge suggestions and kindly criticism received from 

 J. J. Davis. 



