26 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 239 



Oil Ixxj.s Ixired of the n'liiter water eitiij/ (uid zcitli plentiful zeiUer supplies: 



If the net count (p. 3) calls for it, flood jilxnit May 18 for about fifteen 

 hours. If the net count is equivalent to not more than 18 cutworms to 50 

 sweeps, this treatment may be put oflF til! late May or early June when it will 

 check other pests also, but this is not advocated. 



SpraiiiiKj. 



Spraying witii 6 pounds of dry lead arsenate in 100 gallons of water in 

 mid-May is effective. It will not check the worms after they are half-grown. 



Baitivij. 



A poisoned l)ait should be used to reduce serious infestations of any of the 

 cutworms discussed in this paper if flooding cannot be done and the worms 

 have grown too large to check by spraying. The formula for its preparation is 

 as follows: Wheat bran, 2.5 pounds; sodium fluosilicate, 2 pounds; water, 

 enough to moisten. Mix the dry bran and fluosilicate thoroughly with the 

 hands, then add the water gradually and stir till the bait is dampened 

 throughout but not too wet to crumble and spread readily. This amount of 

 material should be broadcasted by hand over an acre just after sunset. The 

 bait is not eft'ective after it gets stale or has been soaked by rain, so a second 

 application tiiree or four days after the first is often advisable. 



Cranberry Blossom Worm.'' 



This is a minor cranberry pest in New Jersey and Massachusetts and is 

 not known to harm, bogs elsewhere. It often destroys the crop promise en- 

 tirely on a small area here and there on the Cape. It is confined to bogs not 

 reflooded regularly in late May or June or after picking. 



Distribution and Food I'lnnts. 



This insect ranges through the Northeastern States from Maine to Illinois. 

 Cranberry is its sole known food plant. 



Character of Injur;/. 



The young worms first nibble the leaves, especially at the margin, or bore 

 into the buds and so spoil them for fruit production. As they grow, they nip 

 off the buds and flowers, dropping them to the ground. They rarely cut off 

 the leaves much, differing in this from the spotted cutworm and the army- 

 worm. Thev work very little in the daytime. 



36. Epiglaea apiala {Gr.}. Some growers call it "the bud worm." 



