Pe CON TROL Or PEE BOLL WEEN II, 
INTRODUCTION. 
The matter contained in this bulletin is extracted largely from 
Bulletin No. 114 of this bureau.!’ That publication contains a rather 
exhaustive account of the history of the boll weevil in the United 
States and in other countries, its life history and habits, and numerous 
methods of control that have been suggested from time to time. 
The reader is referred to the larger publication for much fuller 
information regarding many of the points discussed in this circular. 
The work on the boll weevil is being continued, and there are 
definite indications of a successful outcome from experiments in con- 
trol that will add stili further to the planters’ ability to combat the 
pest. This bulletin, however, contains a brief outline of the methods 
which have been tested under various conditions and sums up the 
present available knowledge concerning the subject of control. 
The difficulties in the way of controlling the boll weevil he both 
in its habits and manner of work and in the peculiar industrial con- 
ditions involved in the production of the staple, cotton, in the South- 
ern States. In all stages except the mmago the weevil lives within 
the fruit of the plant, well protected from any poisons that might be 
applied. The adult takes food normally only by inserting its snout 
within the substance of the plant. It frequently requires but 12 
days for development from egg to adult. The progeny of a single 
pair in a season may exceed 12,000,000 individuals. It adapts itself 
to climatic conditions to the extent that the egg stage alone in — 
November may occupy as much time as ali the immature stages 
together in July or August. All of these factors combine to make it 
one of the most difficult insects to control. 
BASIS FOR MEANS OF REPRESSION. 
In spite of the many difficulties involved in the control of the 
boll weevil certain generally satisfactory means of repression are 
at hand, and others may be found as the result of future work. They 
consist of both direct and indirect means. Those of an indirect 
nature are designed to increase the advantage gained by the direct 
1 Bul. 114, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. Agriculture, ‘‘ The Mexican Cotton Boll Weevil,” by 
W. D. Hunter and W. D. Pierce. Also issued as Senate Doc. No. 305, 62d Cong., 2d sess. ; 
42224°—Bull. 500—12 5 
