SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES 



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cannibalistic propensities, the older ones killing the younger and 

 weaker and extracting the vital fluids from tlieir bodies. In addition 

 to this the species is subject to a bacterial disease.^ 



.AIETHODS OF CONTKOL. 



This insect is unusually resistant to insecticides, and this is partic- 

 ularly true of the adults. A wash strong enough to kill the mature 

 insect will at the same time destro}^ the vines. This renders it neces- 

 sary to proceed against it by hand and by cultural methods. 



Hand-picMng earlij in the season. — A lookout for the bugs should be 

 kept early in the season, and these as well as the eggs should be picked 

 off or cut away with sliears and destroyed. The eggs, on account of 

 their large and conspicuous appearance when deposited in clusters while 

 the vines are young, are readily seen, and the grower should make a 

 practice at the beginning f)f each season of going over the vines everj?^ 

 few days. Such young as may hatch in spite of these precautions may 

 be killed by kerosene emulsion applied upon their first appearance. 



Trapping the bugs. — The bugs may also be trapped by placing 

 on the ground at intervals through the garden, l)oards, shingles, pieces 

 of ])ark, or similar material, to which th(! insects will be attracted for 

 shelter. Here the}^ should Ite looked for and destroyed every morning 

 or so during the earl^' season. 



Protection to cucurbits other than squash, and perhaps pumpkin, can 

 be secured by growing these plants with tlie others to serve as trap 

 crops. Attack will tlius be centtn-ed upon a few plants where the insects 

 can be the more readily controlled. 



Other methods. — A number of the remedies in use against the striped 

 cucuml)er beetle- and other insect enemies of cucurbits will assist in 

 the destruction or control of this species. Among these are the protec- 

 tion of young plants with coverings, the use of repellents, such as land 

 plaster or gypsum saturated with kerosene or turpentine, the planting 

 of an excess of seed to distribute attack, the stimulation of the growth 

 of the plant by manures or other proper fertilizer, and lastly, clean cul- 

 tural practice. If the precaution be taken to gather the vines as soon 

 as the crop is harvested and burn them, many bugs in their different 

 stages will be destroyed and the crop of insects will be redu<'ed for the 

 ensuing year. 



^ Bacillus entomotoxicon Duggar. 



-Spc> Circular No. ;]], Div. Ent., The Stripod Cncnmber Beetle, pp. 4-7, 



Approved : 



Jaaies Wilson, 



tSecretary of Agriculture. 



Washington, D. C, March 23, 1905. 



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