18 Growing Sea Island Cotton Under Florida Conditions 



BOLL WEEVIL CONTROL 



Artificial Control 



After the cotton is chopped, close watch should be kept 

 for the appearance of tiny squares, and, as soon as they appear, 

 poisoning for the weevil should be begun. 



The "Afternoon Mopping Method of Control" has proven 

 its worth over a period of years and under diverse conditions. 

 Virtually all Sea Island Cotton planted in Madison County in 

 1935, '36, '37 and '38 was poisoned by this method, and weevil 

 damage was inconsequential on March-planted cotton. This 

 was also true on most of the remaining Florida Sea Island 

 acreage in 1937 and 1938. However, supplementary poisoning 

 had to be resorted to on most of the April-planted cotton, and 

 even then weevil damage was considerable in some instances. 



The Afternoon Method of Weevil Control 



The use of the "Afternoon Method of Control" is very simple 

 and economical. A poisoned syrup mixture is made by mixing 

 one pound of Calcium Arsenate in a half gallon of water, 

 and then stirring in a gallon of syrup. The mixture is then 

 applied to the cotton by means of a hand mop in the after- 

 noon when the plants are dry and the weevils are thirsty. 

 When nights are cloudy and no dew forms poisoning may 

 be done in the forenoons. Weekly applications are made 

 until all weevils are out of winter quarters, about June 10-12 

 around open pine woods, and about June 18-20 near swamps. 

 The poisoning program will require five or six applications 

 where the cotton grows rapidly and begins to square early, 

 and about four applications where it grows slowly and begins 

 to square somewhat late. 



A cheap No. 2 grade cane syrup should be used where ob- 

 tainable. Insects, like the higher animals, have definite tastes. 

 The square and the blossom, which are distinctly sweet, are 

 the boll weevil's preferred foods in nature. The weevil, 

 therefore, will feed more freely on a good grade of syrup 

 than on a bitter syrup, such as black strap molasses. 

 If the latter is used, better results will be secured if it is 

 mixed with No. 2 cane syrup, the larger the proportion of 

 cane syrup the better. One gallon of cane syrup to two gallons 

 of molasses, however, has been found to give good results. 

 Excellent results have been secured, under certain conditions, 

 with plain black strap. 



