18 THE BOLL WEEVIL PROBLEM. 
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. In this 
connection the writer wishes to emphasize the following important 
points that have a direct bearing upon control: 
(1) The weevil has no food plant but cotton. 
(2) The mortality of the weevil during the winter is very high. 
(3) The emergence from hibernating quarters during the spring 
is slow and prolonged until well into the summer. 
(4) Early in the season, on account of comparatively low tem- 
peratures, the development of the weevil is much slower than during 
the summer months. 
(5) The drying of the infested squares soon destroys the imma- 
ture stages of the weevil contained therein. 
(6) The weevil is attacked by many different species of insect ene- 
mies, the effectiveness of which is increased by certain practices. 
(7) The weevil has little ability to emerge when buried under wet 
soil. 
MEANS OF CONTROL. 
It will be evident from the preceding statements regarding the life 
history and habits of the weevil that its control is beset with many 
difficulties. In fact, it is probably the most serious insect pest that is 
now known. Its insidious methods of work in the immature stages 
within the fruit of the cotton plant, the habit of the adult in seeking 
protection for the greater part of the time under the bracts of the 
squares, and its enormous power of reproduction and adaptability to 
new conditions, all tend to place the boll weevil in a class by itself. 
The difficulties are increased by the necessary procedures in raising 
cotton. In spite of these difficulties fairly satisfactory means of con- 
trol are known. A large share of the reasonable success of the war- 
fare against the pest is due to the assistance furnished by natural 
agencies, which commonly destroy many more weevils in a cotton 
field than the farmer could by any known method or methods. 
. Destroying infested plants in the fall—F oremost among the methods 
of control is the killing of the hordes of adult weevils that are ready 
to enter hibernation in the fall and the prevention of the develop- 
ment of millions more that would later emerge to pass through the 
winter. This is accomplished by burning the infested plants in the 
fall after the weevils have become so numerous that there is no pros- 
pect. of the maturity of any additional crop. There are many vital 
reasons why the wholesale destruction of the weevils in the fall 
should be practiced by every cotton planter in the infested region. 
Some of these are stated below: 
First. Hordes of adult weevils, many for each plant in the field, 
are killed outright. 
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