GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1911 AND 1912. 



connection VNith these animals. They begin to produce young in 

 the spring, in Minnesota perhaps as early as Apiil, and continue 

 during the summer. Hence destruction of adults in early spring 

 will mean, if co-operation amongst neighbors is practiced, a 

 marked lessening of their numbers to work havoc the following- 

 winter. We find them very susceptible to poison in the spring 

 before they can get green food and have destroyed them by powder- 

 ing crystals of sulphate of stychnia, in the small bottle in which it 

 is sold (use the head of a heavy nail) and putting in slits in small 

 pieces of apple, a very little of the powder, as much as can be held 

 on the point of a penknife. These poisoned baits should be distrib- 

 uted in such a way that other animals or children cannot get at 



them, and in general it may be 

 said that one cannot be too careful 

 with poisons of any sort. The use 

 of poisoned baits need not neces- 

 sarily be confined to early spring, 

 but they are probably more effect- 

 ive then. Evidently labbits get 

 wary of certain bait, seeing indi- 

 viduals of their kind perish after 

 partaking of it. It is well, there- 

 fore, to substitute parsnip or car- 

 rot for the apple, when the latter 

 ceases to be effective. The bodies 

 of poisoned rabbits should be care- 

 fully buried. 



Another method of poisoning, 

 applicable in winter or spring, 

 which has the advantage of not 

 endangering the lives of birds and 

 other valuable animals, is the poi- 

 soning of new twigs or suckers, 

 freshly cut from appletrees, by 

 dipping them in a sweetened 

 strychnine solution and placing 

 them about the orchard or nursery 

 in the neighborhood of trees need- 

 ing protection, or in rabbit run- 

 ways. See that these twigs bear 

 buds and that the buds are poi- 

 soned. When using poisoned fruit, unpoisoned fruit should be kept 



Fig. 67. 



Corn stalks used to protect trunks. 

 Ohio Experiment Station. 



