THE SQUASH BUG I9 



congregate in great numbers upon the unripe fruit where they 

 suck the juices through the thick skin ; many are thus able to 

 become adult during the mild autumn days. The full-grown 

 insects begin leaving the fields soon after the first frosts, and 

 from that time onward rapidly disappear. Apparently they 

 fly away most commonly during the warmest hours of the day. 

 For their long winter retreat they seek such shelter as they 

 are able to find in their erratic wanderings. They conceal 

 themselves beneath the fallen leaves, as well as stones and 

 logs and boards in the fields and woods. Board piles seem to 

 be a favorite resort, but almost any sort of shelter may be 

 chosen. Here they remain dormant until again enlivened by 

 the warm sunshine of spring. Then they come forth to wan- 

 der more or less until the squash plants appear above ground, 

 attracting the bugs to find food and a place to deposit their eggs. 

 On warm days they fly into the squash field with a buzzing 

 noise which is easily recognized. It seems evident that t,hey 

 find their food plants by the sense of smell. 



THE INJURIES TO THE PLANT 



The squash bug was not the only pest infesting our squash 

 plants the past summer. There were present also the squash 

 root-borer and a fungous disease. These pests do not make 

 their first appearance at the same time. The bug is present 

 when the young plants appear above the ground. A number 

 of bugs attacking such a plant cause it to wither and die. 

 Later when the plants have reached a fair size the root-borer 

 and the fungus appear. The presence of each of these may 

 be determined by the following descriptions of the appear- 

 ance and behavior of the plants. 



Squash Bug. — The effect on larger plants is not general 

 but local. A number of bugs congregated on a leaf will cause 

 that portion to dry up, and this dead portion may vary from 

 a pruinose gray to a dark brownish black. 



The Root Borer. — A sudden wilting and drooping of the 

 plant characterizes the attack of this pest, which we believe 

 to be the larva of the striped beetle. (^Diabrotica.) The plant 

 may appear thrifty in the morning and be prostrated to the 

 ground in the evening. This has been the chief cause of death 

 to the plants that died in the college gardens. 



