Pomona Journal of Entomology 



Volume I DECEMBER 1909 Number 4 



COMBATING THE CITRUS MEALY BUG 



E. O. ESSIG. 

 (Horticultural Commissioner of Ventura County, California.) 



Without doubt, this is by far the worst scale pest which could be intro- 

 duced into an orchard in the vicinity of Santa Paula, for here it thrives as 

 in no other locality in California. This is probably due to the following 

 reasons : 



A. A moist ocean climate, but not too cold. 



B. Fifteen years of adaptation. 



C. No effort to hold it in check until it had become firmly intrenched. 



It is now an established fact that scale pests which may be harmless when 

 first introduced into a new place become in time acclimated and very harmful. 

 This is evidently the case with the Mealy Bug in this locality. During the 

 long years in which it was apparently harmless it was becoming perfectly 

 adapted, until now we are facing the most serious problem which has ever 

 come before our citrus growers, worse I believe by far than the White Fly 

 or any other scale. In no case has fumigation failed so completely as with the 

 Mealy Bug. We are aware of the good work done on the White Fly at Marys- 

 ville, where in less than one year it has been practically exterminated. Not 

 so with the Mealy Bug. For two years every possible means has been tried 

 without regard to expense, for the fruit growers have done all in their power 

 to help in the fight. The following work which has been done will show this : 



Last Fall Mr. P. E. Smith, a Pomona graduate and a man excellently 

 equipped for carrying on this work, was called to the Comniissionership of 

 this county in order to exterminate this scale. The aim was to rely wholly 

 on fumigation, and a new county outfit for the purpose was furnished him. 

 He used at first the Purple Scale dosage, R. S. \\'oglum's Dosage Xo. 1. which 

 (lid not kill all of the Mealy Bugs. The dosage was increased, with no better 

 results. He then came to the conclusion that a tighter tent was necessary, so 

 the entire number were dipped in a preparation of cactus and tannin recom- 

 mended by prominent fumigators for this business. A slight difference was 

 noted in results, which seemed better than before. This led to the belief that 

 an absolutely air-tight tent would solve the problem, and one was accordingly 



