REMEDIAL MEASURES 



57 



colony by swabbing it out of the crotch with a mass of rags, a 

 gloved hand, a forked stick, a scrubbing brush, or almost any- 

 thing that can be used to crush the tiny worms huddled beneath 

 the tent. Of course this destruction should take place when 

 the caterpillars are at home rather than when they are abroad 

 on the branches feeding. In rainy weather one can generally 

 find them in the tent almost any time, while in fair weather 

 they may be attacked either early or late in the day. The 

 colony can also be removed by taking hold of the outside of 

 the tent with the hand and lifting it with the worms inside : 

 then drop it to the ground and step on it. When the tent is on 

 a small branch the latter may be cut oft" and then burned or 

 crushed. "A slender pole long enough to reach the highest 

 nest in the tree," writes Mr. A. S. Fuller, " with two or three 

 shingle nails driven through the end, leaving the heads sticking 

 out a half inch, makes a very handy and efficient implement 

 for dislodging the nest and caterpillars. By thrusting the end 

 into the tent and then twisting it around two or three times the 

 tent will be rolled about the end and can be drawn forth with 

 contents," and destroyed. 



There appears to be a considerable variation in the time of 

 hatching of the different egg-masses, so that it is often necessary 

 to go over the trees more than once 

 to get all the nests. As a rule one 

 should not be satisfied with a single ^^'.^ 

 attack upon the pests, but should 

 renew the battle if necessary. 



3. Burning with Torches. — A 

 rather common method of destroy- 

 ing tent caterpillars is to burn them 

 out by means of some substance sat- 

 urated with kerosene. An asbestos 

 torch advertised by the seedsmen and 

 implement dealers for this purpose is 

 represented in Fig. 12. The asbes- 

 tos is saturated with kerosene, light- 

 ed and held under the tents for the 

 cremation of the caterpillars. Rags 

 tied to the end of a pole and satu- fig. 12.— Asbestos Torch 



*^ 



