4 INSECTS OF ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE 



It costs $10,000,000 to screen against the house- 

 fly. 



The New England States and the Federal Gov- 

 ernment have ah-eady spent over $10,000,000 in 

 fighting the gypsy and brown-tail moths and at the 

 present time are spending fully $1,000,000 per an- 

 num. 



OUR INSECT FOES ARE INCREASING 



Insect pests are coming from foreign countries — 

 San Jose scale, gypsy moth, Mexican cotton-boll 

 weevil, and many others — unaccompanied by nat- 

 ural checks."^ 



Out of y^ of our worst pests, at least '^^J or over 

 half have been imported from foreign countries. 



Insects once harmless become serious pests ow- 

 ing to changed conditions — Colorado potato beetle, 

 blister-mite, redbugs, et al.^ 



Happily, not all insects are injurious; many of 

 them are beneficial. 



USEFUL INSECTS 



Silk-worms furnish material for clothing. 



Scale insects produce a waxy material from which 

 shellac is made. Shellac is used in paints and var- 

 nishes and in making inks, gramophone records, 

 jewelry settings, etc..^ The pulverized bodies of 

 certain species furnish cochineal. 



The census of 10 10 reports 3,4-15,006 colonies of 

 bees in the United States valued at $10,373,615. 

 The value of the honey and wax produced was 

 nearly $6,000,000. Bees also aid in the cross-pol- 



7 Howard— U. S. Dept. Agri., Yearbook 1897, p. 529. 



8 Herrick— Cornell Countryman, 1910, Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 28. 



9 Comstock— U. S. Ent, Report for 1880. 



