458 ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY AND ENTOMOLOGY 



to penetrate, mealy-bugs are among the most dreaded pests in 

 the orange and lemon orchards. Any of the sprays used at 

 ordinary strength will leave many of them unharmed. A strong 

 carbolic acid spray, made as suggested on page 417 and applied 

 under a very high pressure, is the most efficient remedy yet 

 found. Two or three or even more applications are often 

 necessary before the insects can all be destroyed. Fumiga- 



FIG. 218. Mealy-bugs, Pseudococcus citri, on lemons. (Reduced,- after 

 Quayle, photo by Doane.) 



tion as ordinarily used on citrus trees does not kill nearly all 

 of the mealy-bugs, and for this reason has not proved as satis- 

 factory as some of the sprays. 



The mealy-bugs are attacked by several parasites and pre- 

 daceous insects. The ladybird-beetles are particularly im- 

 portant in the control of this pest. The larvae of one of these 

 little beetles, Cryptolcemus montrouzieri, is covered with 

 cottony tufts making it look very much like the mealy-bug 



