and the females lay their eggs in slits in the undersides of the 

 leaves of pears or cherries (like other sawflies, the Pear Slug 

 Sawfly has a saw-like apparatus at the end of the abdomen for 

 cutting slits in which to lay eggs). In rather less than a 

 fortnight the eggs give rise to young larvae, at first whitish in 

 colour, which force their way out from the upper surface of 

 the leaf and begin feeding, soon assuming the typical slug- 

 worm appearance. When full-fed the slugworms change to 

 orange-yellow caterpillars, in shape not unlike those of the 

 gooseberry sawfly. In this stage they do not feed but crawl 

 down to the soil and spin a cocoon within it, the outside of the 

 cocoon being stuck all over with particles of soil. In summer 

 the insect turns to a pupa within the cocoon and a fresh brood 

 of sawflies comes out in about a fortnight. There may be 

 two and possibly three broods during the summer, and the 

 larvae of the last brood, which feed in early autumn, remain 

 for the winter as larvae within their cocoons in the soil, turning 

 to pupae the following spring. Prom these pupae the -first 

 brood of adults appears in May or June. 



Methods of Control. (1) Slugworms are easily destroyed 

 by spraying. In the case of the earlier broods of larvae lead 

 arsenate is effective and can safely be used so long as the fruit 

 is not to be picked for six weeks after spraying. Later, 

 hellebore or nicotine wash can be applied up to fourteen days 

 before picking. The slugworms are not difficult to kill and 

 even soap and water applied with force is fairly effective. 



Formula : 



(a) Lead Arsenate. 



Lead arsenate paste J Ib. 



Water 10 gallons. 



(b) Hellebore. 



Hellebore powder ... 4 oz. up to 1 Ib. 



Water ... 10 gallons. 



The powder is thoroughly mixed with the water and the liquid used 

 without straining. 



(c) Nicotine. 



Nicotine, 98 per cent. f oz. (fluid measure). 



Soft soap 1 Ib. 



Soft water 10 gallons. 



(2) Freshly slaked lime dusted on to the larvae is efficient 

 in gardens where only a few trees have to be dealt with and 

 the application can be made thoroughly. Some recommend 

 a mixture of soot and lime, but the latter alone is sufficient. 



(3) Various measures, such as the removal of the surface 

 soil in winter from around trees which have been attacked, 

 have been suggested, also hoeing, digging, &c., but apart from 

 the questionable success of these measures, they do not seem 

 worth considering in opposition to such proved treatments as 

 spraying and dusting. 



