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The Peach Borer. 5 
THE LARVA OR BORER. 
When the egg has hatched, the little larva coming out of it makes 
its way as rapidly as possible to the collar of the tree, if not already 
at or near its base, and at 
once begins burrowing into 
the bark, entering often 
through a crack or wound. 
Some of the larve enter on 
the trunk, or even on the 
limbs, but these usually fail 
to survive long. After the 
larva has gained entrance to 
the soft bark of the tree it 
feeds greedily and grows 
rapidly, and in the course of 
a few weeks has become of 
sufficient size to do material 
damage. 
The number of  larve 
which may infest a single 
tree is often surprising, and 
itis a matter of wonder that 
trees so infested are not 
completely killed within a 
season. The average num- 
ber of larve to a tree in 
orchards varies widely ac- 
cording to region, in some 
sections there being only 2 
or 3, whereas in other regions 
some 8 or 10 borers are 
usually present. In extreme 
cases 40, 60, and even 90 
borers have been found in- 
festing the roots and crown 
of individual peach trees 6 
or 7 years old. 
There is only one genera- 
tion a year. The larger 
borers pass the winter in Fs. 2.—Young peach tree practically girdled by the peach 
their burrows in the bark, sae 
though many of the smaller ones construct a cell, or hibernaculum, 
outside of the burrow on the bark of the tree. Feeding is active 
from early spring until late fall and, in the South, also during warm 
