128 THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH 



insects, such as the forest tent caterpillar or white-marked 

 tussock moth, which are controlled by native parasites. . A 

 determined effort is, therefore, now being made by the 

 Massachusetts superintendent, in cooperation with the 

 Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, in importing those parasites and predaceous 

 insects which prey upon the brown-tail and gypsy moths in 

 Europe. Already large numbers have been imported from 

 all parts of Europe and are being carefully reared in strict 

 confinement at Saugus, Mass. It is the hope of everyone 

 that these importations may result, within a fcAV years, in 

 such an increase of these enemies that they will be able to 

 control these pests. It is the belief of the writer that ulti- 

 mately either imported or native enemies will control them, 

 as they do our native insects ; but Nature works slowly, and 

 whether such a condition will arise in five, ten or one hun- 

 dred years, it is impossible to predict, as we have no experi- 

 ence with imported pests of a nature sufficiently similar to 

 furnish us any precedent for comparison. Obviously, 

 therefore, it will be folly to place any dependence upon 

 these natural enemies until their value and ability to even 

 partially control the brown-tail moth is clearly established. 



REMEDIES. 



Destruction of the Winter Webs. — Of all the means for 

 controlling the brown-tail moth, the destruction of the win- 

 ter webs or nests is by far the most important, the most 

 practical, economical and efficient. The webs are conspic- 

 uous on the tips of the limbs from October to April and 

 usually may be readily removed by pole shears or long- 

 handled pruners. All webs should be collected and burned 

 in a stove, as they do not burn readily and if burned in 

 an open fire out of doors some may be merely scorched, and 

 if the nests be allowed to lie on the ground or in a brush 

 heap the young caterpillars will emerge in spring and 

 usually find plenty of food. When the snow is on the 

 ground the nests may be more readily found where they 

 drop. On large trees with numerous nests it is well to have 

 one man below the tree to point out the nests to two or 

 three men doing the pruning, thus saving time and ensur- 

 ing thorough work. Long ladders and climbing irons will 

 occasionally be necessary for high trees and will be found 



