4 THE CLOVER MITE. 



autumn or early winter the mites apparently cease to deposit eggs, 

 and thus operations are simph' suspended until the coming of warm 

 weather in spring, when the eggs promptly hatch young mites. This 

 is clearly shown by the observations of Mr, Pergande. 



As will be observed, the presence of mies in dwellings during 

 fall and spring is of common occurrence. Do they deposit eggs and 

 do these eggs hatch there ? It may be stated that botli eggs and mites 

 were received from "Williamsport. Pa., December 11, 1896, and that 

 the eggs hatched en route. Also, as observed by the writer, the mites 

 entering a dwelling in Lafayette, Ind., during December, 1889, when 

 the weather was very mild, were at first full grown, but young 

 appeared later in the month. AMiether mites seek out dwellings in 

 which to continue reproduction but die out for lack of food, or 

 whether they enter them for the purpose of hibernation, is not clear. 

 It is very, clear, however, that they do not go into hibernation in 

 May, a time when their occurrence in dwellings is of equally common 

 occurrence. Furthermore, our notes show that complaints of these 

 mites entering^ dwellings almost invariably come from the eastern and 

 cooler sections of the countrA\ the reports from McCook, Nebr., and 

 Denver, Colo., being the only exceptions in the West. Mr. George P. 

 AVeldon, who studied the species in Colorado,^ states that it winters 

 there principally in the egg stage and that practically no living 

 mites can be found abroad after August 1. Hatching begins about 

 Maj' 1, and there are probably three generations annuallj^ in that 

 region. 



REMEDIAL AND PREVEXTIVE rSIEASURES. 



Tobacco preparations applied in the form of a liquid spray are 

 quite effective in destroying the mite, but do not destroy the egg, 

 and therefore offer onh'^ temporary relief. Mr. Weldon found 

 that flowers of sulphur dusted on foliage during early morning 

 was more effective in destroying the mites. A liquid spray of 1 

 pound flowers of sulphur mixed in 4 gallons of weak soapsuds, 1 

 pound of soap to 100 gallons of water, was very effective and ap- 

 peared to be lasting in its effects. This last can be easily applied 

 to lawns and grounds where the mites are at work and also in 

 fields of clover or alfalfa in case the depredations are confined to 

 small spots or areas. The eggs can be destroyed on the trunks of 

 trees by the use of strong kerosene emulsion. The writer has re- 

 ceived reports of good results in driving the mites away from dwell- 

 ings by placing oil of pennyroyal in small shallow dishes in the 

 rooms where the mites occur. This measure does away with the 

 disagreeable feature of fumigation with fumes of sulphur or dust- 

 ing with insect powder, and the odor of the oil is not disagreeable 

 to people using the rooms. 



1 Loc. cit., p. 3, October, 1909. 



