The Pests of Garden Plants 



detail. One of the best modes of trapping them is to put some 

 injured fruit beneath one of the trees, and over it a hand-light raised 

 about three inches above the ground by stones or pieces of wood 

 placed at the four corners. This light must have a rather large hole 

 at the top. Upon it should rest another light from which all means 

 of egress is prevented, except through the apex of the lower light. 

 After the Wasps have visited the fruit, they will rise into the first 

 light, and gradually find their way through the opening into the one 

 above, from which not one insect in a hundred will escape. In a 

 trap of this kind we have seen an enormous number of Wasps and 

 Hornets which had been lured to death within a few hours. 



Wireworm is the most persistent and destructive of all the 

 ground vermin. There are fully a dozen species of beetles the 

 larvae of which are known as ' Wireworms,' and of these the ' Spring- 

 Jacks,' ' Click-Beetles,' and * Blacksmiths ' Elater obscurus, E. line- 

 atus, and E. ruficaudis are the most prevalent. The female beetle 

 deposits her eggs in the earth in the height of the summer, and in 

 due time the worms emerge and 

 commence their depredations. 

 These worms have a tenure of 

 five years in their subterranean 

 homes, during which time they 



1 WIREWORM 



feed VOraClOUSly, and are not (natural size and magnified) 



very particular as to what they 



eat. Their muscular power renders them expert in burrowing, and 

 they are well protected by their horny jackets. When their 

 term of five years' feeding is completed, they descend to a con- 

 siderable depth and change into the chrysalis state, from which 

 they come forth as jumping beetles in the course of July and August, 

 a certain proportion remaining in the ground to complete their final 

 change in spring. Their power of destruction is then at an end. 

 They resort to flowers, lead a merry life for a short time, and when 

 they pass away leave plenty of eggs to continue the race of Wire- 

 worms. 



For practical purposes the Wireworm may be regarded as inhabit- 

 ing every kind of soil and consuming every kind of crop. The crops 

 it is most partial to are Grass, Potatoes, Turnips, and the juicy stems 

 of all kinds of cereals. The first step towards its destruction must 

 consist in stirring the earth by spade or other agency. Soils that 

 have been long undisturbed, as fallows and pastures, for instance, are 



