90 



CARBON BISULPHID FOR RED ANTS AND WHITE GRUBS. 



Mr. Harry B. Williams, 212 Summer street, Boston, Mass., writes 

 in regard to the efficiency of carbon bisulphid as a i-emed}- for red 

 ants and white o-rubs, both of which insects were troiil)lesome on his 

 lawn, that having tried hot water, kerosene, red pepper, and a few 

 other such remedies, he wrote to this Department for information, 

 receiving Circular 84 and Farmers"' Bulletin l-i.5. In applying the 

 remedies, he made holes about 4 inches deep in the lawn, 2 feet 

 apart, inserted a small funnel, and poured a small quantity, about a 

 tablespoonful, immediatel}' into the funnel, pulling it out and cover- 

 ing the hole with moist dirt. He noticed that if the bisulphid touched 

 the grass it shriveled it at once; and if too large a dose was used, it 

 had a tendency to kill the grass, making brown spots appear. He 

 described the treatment as having produced very good results, having 

 cleaned the lawn of both white grubs and red ants. 



This is the standard remed}^ for ants in lawns, and has frequently 

 been advised for white grubs, but the expense of using it is such that 

 it can not always be profitably employed in large fields, though it will 

 answer very well for lawns, and for some gardens. 



AGONODERUS PALLIPES A PERMANENT ENEMY OF SPROUTING CORN. 



During the latter days of July, 1903, Mr. B. D. Wilson, Hetty, 

 Tex., sent numerous specimens of the common little carabid ground 

 beetle, Agonode7'us 'palUpes^ together with samples of sprouting corn 

 which they had injured. He reported that there seemed to be twenty 

 of these beetles to a single grain of corn. Out of 50 acres of June 

 corn planted he felt satisfied that he would not obtain more than 5 

 acres on account of the ravages of this little pest. It is now a matter 

 of upward of twent}' years since this species has attracted attention 

 by attacking the kernels of corn in Illinois. (See Forbes's 12th Report 

 St. Ent. 111., p. 27.) In 1885 we received reports from Illinois and 

 from lo^a that this species was damaging young corn by gnawing 

 into the seed corn and eating the sprouting roots. Damage was said 

 to be quite extensive (see Bui. No. 12, Div. Ent., o. s., p. 45). 



ANTHRENUS DESTROYING TUSSOCK MOTH EGGS. 



In Technical Series, No. 5, we described a newl}^ discovered habit of 

 the larva of AntJkrenus verhasci {varhiK) in feeding upon the living eggs 

 of H&inerocainpa {OrgyiafTeucostigma. Since that time this observa- 

 tion has not been duplicated. In October, however, Mr, D. C. Clark 

 stated that he had noticed the same habit in Baltimore, and that he is 

 confident that it has been during the past season of so common occur- 

 rence as to account for the scarcity of the tussock moth caterpillars 



