4 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 474 



A gradual but continual spread of Montana's No. 2 agricultural 

 insect pest, alfalfa weevil, has been noted. It appears that alfalfa 

 weevils are spreading west up the Yellowstone River Valley, and 

 infestations north as far as Lewistown have been observed. New 

 methods for controlling the alfalfa weevil have been worked out 

 through extensive investigations and the development of a new 

 insecticide which now make it possible for farmers and ranchers 

 to prevent the serious losses which have been inflicted on alfalfa 

 hay and seed crops. 



Weather conditions were unfavorable for Rescue wheat to 

 produce its maximum sawfly resistance qualities in 1950. Con- 

 sequently, sawflies again appeared to be more numerous. Further 

 tests on all of the wheat varieties available are being conducted, 

 and a number of these show promise of sawfly resistance. 



Recent investigations of mosquito control, under Montana con- 

 ditions, have provided information which for the first time makes 

 large scale control programs practical. It is intended to take this 

 information into those areas where mosquitoes are a problem. 



The new potent insecticides which have been introduced and 

 are continually appearing along with new methods of using these 

 materials have presented many problems from the standpoint of 

 proper handling and use. The educational programs conducted 

 during the last biennium have for the most part been effective 

 in getting the needed information to the public. However, further 

 expansion and intensification of these educational programs is 

 desirable in order to prevent the few cases of misrepresentation, 

 misuse, and ineffective insect control that are currently being 

 experienced. 



GENERAL FEEDERS 



GRASSHOPPER CONTROL 



1949 SEASON 



As anticipated (see Thirty-Second Report of the State En- 

 tomologist) , there was a general increase in grasshopper numbers 

 throughout the state in 1949 as compared with 1948. The severity 

 of grasshopper damage in the infested areas was greatly increased 

 by the dry condition which prevailed throughout most of the grow- 

 ing season. Economic grasshopper populations occurred on the 

 range and crop lands in most of southeastern Montana, particularly 

 in parts of Yellowstone, Big Horn, Treasure, Rosebud, Custer, and 

 Powder River counties. In general, most of northeastern Montana 

 was infested with grasshoppers with the 'hopper populations in 

 Daniels County reaching near outbreak proportions. Economic 

 populations of a more localized nature occurred in the south cen- 

 tral, north central, and northwestern portions of the state. The 



