11 
stage. The ripening and harvesting of the grain deprives them of 
food and induces a migration, and the young, half-grown, and adult 
insects start off together, apparently with a common impulse, aban- 
doning the wheat fields and attacking any near-by cornfield or grass 
field. Their travels, while commonly much less, may extend to a dis- 
tance of a quarter of a mile or more, and, as a rule, under these cir- 
cumstances the bugs are numerous enough to completely carpet the 
ground. Entering a field of corn, they congregate on the outer rows 
at first, fairly blackening the stalks with their bodies and absolutely 
killing the corn as they move inward. Asa rule, the serious damage 
is on the edge of the cornfields, sometimes, however, extending inward 
several rods. 
If this midsummer migration is not induced by the harvesting of 
grain, or where the chinch bugs develop in other situations, their 
reaching maturity is immediately followed by midsummer flight to corn 
or millet or other crop. 
Crawl on ground.—Curiously enough, in the migration above noted 
the winged individuals, as well the wingless, all crawl together on the 
ground, and flight seems never to be attempted on the part of the 
adult. The second brood, maturing about the last of August and 
the first of September, may have a partial flight to late corn or other 
late crops if the cornfields in which they develop have already matured 
and are drying up, but between the middle of September and the first 
of October they take what may be termed the autumnal flight to grass 
lands or other situations for concealment and hibernation. 
PREVENTIVES AND REMEDIES. 
For the practical control of the chinch bug many suggestions have 
been made, some of which have a good deal of utility. These are con- 
sidered in the order of their importance. 
(1) Burning over waste land.—The hibernating habit of the chinch 
bug suggests at once the advisability of burning over and clearing up 
all waste land where this insect would be apt to congregate for over- 
wintering. The burning of grass lands, especially the wild grasses 
which may have the stooling habit, should be done early in the fall so 
as to expose the chinch bugs that may not be killed by the flames as 
long as possible to the unfavorable action of the cold and freezing of 
winter. All the rubbish in the fence corners and hedge rows should 
be raked out and burned and as little material left as possible for pro- 
tection of the insects. Cultivated meadows may be safely burned over 
when the ground is frozen without injury to the grass. 
(2) Trap crops.—The planting of trap crops has been suggested and 
may occasionally be of some value. Of this nature is the early plant- 
ing of patches of millet or Hungarian grass or spring wheat to attract 
the chinch bugs in the first spring flight. Such land after becoming 
132 
ios 
