382 



Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



along the back close to the head, and the maggots hatching from these 

 eggs enter the body and feed on the tissues and blood of the caterpillar, 

 thus soon killing it. 



REMEDIAL MEASURES. In spite of the fact that the army worm has so 

 many foes, it occasionally becomes so abundant that the grower must use 



artificial measures of control. As 

 soon as the army worms are detected 

 measures of control should be put 

 into operation at once, if the loss of 

 the crop is to be prevented, for they 

 move rapidly and destroy all in their 

 path. Efforts should be centered on 

 keeping the worms out of the al- 

 falfa not yet attacked, and on con- 

 fining their injury to as small an 

 area as possible. 



The most effective method of con- 

 trol is the poisoned bran mash pre- 

 pared the same as for grasshoppers 

 (see "Poisoned Bran Mash," in in- 

 dex), and distributed in the follow- 

 ing manner: 



If the worms are moving into an 



alfalfa field a strip of the bran mash should be sown broadcast along the 

 edge of the field into which they are moving. If they are already abundant 

 in the field the crop should be cut at once and the worms poisoned as they 

 are moving into an adjoining field. If they are working on alfalfa that is 



FiG. 328. Army-worm moth, pupa and 

 eggs in natural position in a grass leaf; 

 natural size. (After Comstock.) 



FIG. 329. The farmers' friend, the red-tailed tachina fly (Winthemia quadri- 

 postulata), a, natural size; &, much enlarged; c, army worm on which fly has 

 laid eggs, natural size; d, much enlarged. (After Slingerland.) 



