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Destruction of Voladoras. 



Tlie comparatively active nature of the voladoras during most 

 of their sojourn in the settled districts renders them somewhat 

 difficult to handle. Still, by watching and waiting, it will be 

 found that there are a number of opportunities to be had for 

 killing even the winged locusts. During cool, cloudy days in 

 spring, while a pampero is blowing and when it is raining, 

 they can be gathered into bags or killed by means of wire 

 nails, paddles, shovels, and like appliances as they cling in 

 numbers to trees, fence-posts, sides of buildings, walls and 

 other places. Machines like the various rollers and Carcarañá 

 shown in figures 17 to 23 can also be brought into use where 

 the insects are gathered in grass and other low vegetation- 

 B}' working at night when the insects are roosting much good 

 can be accomplished. Large quantities were thus gathered, 

 bagged and sold to the local commissions during the past year 

 in the colonies of Santa-Fe. 



When the insects begin to mate, and also wdiile they are en- 

 gaged in egg-laying, they gather in clusters upon rather hard, 

 bare ground. They are more inclined to remain quiet at such 

 times, hence can be more readil}* approached and killed than 

 when w\ary and active. By taking advantage of the times when 

 they are clustered for the above named purposes, many can 

 be destroyed even during warm weather and the middle of the 

 day. Good results have been obtained by the use of heavy 

 land rollers, wire-flails and similar crushing devices. It has 

 also been found that they can be destroyed in large numbers 

 by trampling them wdtli troops of mares or flocks of sheep. 



The most effective time, however, for the destruction of the 

 mature insects is in winter when they are in their hibernating 

 retreats. Here, as before stated, they frequently gather in such 

 numbers as to cover the surface of ground and vegetation to 

 several inches in depth. So numerous are they at times accord- 

 ing to reports that a ton may be gathered trom ten or a dozen 

 square rods of surface. 



Sometimes this wintering- takes place in tall grass that is 

 sufficiently dr\^ to burn readilv. With a moderate wind to drive 

 the flames great havoc can be done to them in a ver_v short 

 time. More com moni v the insects are to be found clustered in 



