DESTRUCTIVE ANIMALS, BIRDS, INSECTS 117 



Douglas fir, pines, spruce, and other conifers, preferring those 

 from three to six years old. They gnaw the bark off the 

 young stem, exposing the wood in patches. Very often the 

 plants are girdled, and in some cases are completely peeled. 

 On older plants only bark from one to five years old is eaten, 

 as six-year-old bark is too hard for them. The beetle is very 

 destructive and often causes the failure of large plantations. 

 The following protective measures may be tried : 



1. The areas cut should be small and isolated, a belt of old 

 wood being left between successive cuts. If then the beetles 

 get into one area, they are more easily prevented from spread- 

 ing into other young plantations. 



2. Stumps of conifers should be extracted, but as this is 

 usually too expensive, all rubbish should be piled and burnt 

 on them, when clearing an area for planting, to kill the 

 stumps. Unburnt stumps may be barked. 



3. Any area containing conifer stumps may be left for four 

 years unplanted after felling, as the stumps and roots will then 

 dry up, and the grubs will die owing to want of food. While 

 the area is blank, sheep and cattle may be admitted for 

 grazing. This measure is very effective, but four years of 

 growth are lost, and it should only be carried out in extreme 

 cases. 



When beetles have actually appeared, the best remedial 

 measures are : 



1. To employ children to collect them off the plants. If 

 persistently done, this will keep them down. 



2. To put down traps in June, consisting of smooth barked 

 pine sticks three feet long and two to four inches thick. 

 These should be buried in the ground, here and there over 

 the area, obliquely so that one end is ten inches deep and the 

 other two inches out of the ground. The beetles lay their 

 eggs in these and in September the sticks are pulled out and 

 burnt. A stake put at every trap will enable it to be easily 

 found. 



