FAMILY CERAMBYCIDAE 365 



will not necessarily die owing to the presence in it of the boring grubs. 

 Only in the event of their being very numerous in it will a tree be likely to 

 succumb to the attack. At the same time we must remember that every 

 infested tree is a source of danger to others as well as to itself, since the 

 presence of only a few larvae in a garden or in a single tree means the 

 future appearance of beetles who will give rise to a progeny greater in 

 numbers .than themselves, and will result, in the course of time, in a serious 

 infestation. 



My recommendations are, therefore, as follows : 



1. Where a tree is seen to be very seriously infested by the pest and to 

 contain, from the evidence of numerous external holes, a large number of 

 larvae, that tree should be cut out, cut up into sections, and burnt. Parti- 

 cular attention should be taken to ascertain that every portion of the wood 

 is well charred. The period of cutting and burning should be between the 

 end of October and the end of March. 



2. Where a tree is not seriously infested, attacked branches, or portions 

 of the main stem, if high up, should be pruned off and burnt, as detailed 

 above. In both cases they should be pruned off below where the insect is 

 seen to be at work, and the pruned spot should be thickly coated with tar. 

 In cutting off heavy branches, the branch should be first sawn off about 

 a foot from its junction with the main stem, the remaining portion being 

 subsequently taken off flush with the stem. This is to avoid the weight of 

 the branch tearing the bark of the trunk (thus causing a wound at which 

 the beetles would oviposit), which usually happens if the branch is taken 

 off flush in the first instance. 



3. From the beginning of June to the end of August the parts of trees 

 infested with grubs should be enveloped in muslin (mosquito-netting) bags, 

 tied above and below the area containing the grub. These bags should be 

 inspected daily, and all beetles issuing from the areas so enveloped, who 

 will be unable to escape owing to the netting, should be killed. Crushing 

 them against the stem of the tree without de. aching the netting will be 

 sufficient. The daily inspection is necessary, otherwise male and female 

 beetles may issue in the same bag, pair, and the female may lay eggs on the 

 confined area before she is killed. Should this take place the work and 

 supervision entailed will be of no avail, since the eggs will hatch into gnihs 

 and these latter will carry on the attack in the tree. It was by means of 

 such bags that Colonel Kemball had the beetles caught which set at rest the 

 question of the identity of this pest. 



4. Between the dates specified in the preceding paragraph a careful 

 watch should be kept in the garden for beetles issuing from parts of 

 trees unprotected by the bags, and all such found should be caught and 

 killed. This inspection should be made in the d.iytime, and at night 

 with a lantern. The beetles will usually be found clinging to the bark 

 of the trees. 



