TWENTY TllilJD li.Ei"UKT OF STATE EXTUMULOGIST 'J 



tlie past season when weather was favorable to the increase of grass- 

 hoppers. 



In ease local outln-eaks occur, it will ho ]iif>lily important to apply 

 control measures promptly and to wipe out all large centers of grass- 

 hopper population. Such efforts should not be adopted with the sole 

 aim of preventing local injury to the present crop, but with the more 

 important objective of preventing further increases which might lead 

 to county-wide grasshopper outl)reaks in 1932. It is entirely within 

 reason that a few hundred dollars spent for grasshopper prevention 

 in 1931 may save thousands of dollars that would otherwise be spent 

 for grasshopper control in 1932. 



WrREWORMS 



Wireworms, the j'oung of click beetles, must l)e ranked as among 

 the most injurious of insect pests in Montana. Unlike grasshoppers, 

 cutworms, and many other pests, they continue year after j'car. In 

 this State the chief damage is to cereals and potatoes. The farmer 

 knows when grasshoppers are doing damage, and often he sees the 

 damage being done by cutworms, but in the case of wireworms the 

 wheat plant becomes stunted and looks sickly and the farmer seldom 

 suspects the real cause of the trouble. In the case of potatoes the 

 grower gets his first evidence of damage when he digs the potatoes and 

 finds the holes in the tubers caused by the wireworms. Again, 

 while we know a remedy or control for grasshoppers and many other 

 insects, there is no control by insecticides for wireworms and the 

 farmer must depend ou ehanges in farm practice. Wireworms are 

 undoubtedh- doing great damage each year and the Experiment Sta- 

 tion, in cooperation with ^Ir. .M. C. Lane of the United States Bureau 

 of Entomology, is continuing and extending studies conducted by 

 this station during recent years. The wireworm situation in Montana 

 in 1930 was as follows: 



Two species, Ludius aeripennis Kirby and Ludius inflatus Say, 

 were found at South Cottonwood in Gallatin County where hitherto 

 no damage from wireworms had been reported. Four farmers were 

 obliged to reseed their winter wheat Fields. Three seeded with spring 

 wheat in the damaged fields and one planted peas. Heavy damage 

 was done to the peas following irrigation, the vines being cut off just 

 below the surface of the ground. The spring wheat was also damaged 

 to some extent. 



