Insects Injurious to the Easjjherry. 427 



i^Tatural Enemies. 



There are very few natural enemies of this and the two following 

 weevils. Bat this species is preyed upon by certain hymenoptera 

 of the genus Cerceris, black and yellow wasp-like insects. These 

 enemies provision their nests with enormous quantities of this and 

 other weevils for food for their progeny. These false wasps make 

 their nests in the sand banks and pits, loam banks, and gravel pits. 

 Previous to placing the weevils in the nests they sting them and 

 so partly paralyse them, thus keeping them alive, yet inactive, until 

 their larva? are hatched and ready to commence to feed. 



Moles are also very fond of the maggots and destroy numbers 

 of them in raspberry and strawberry beds. 



Several birds also devour them, such as the Tits {rarida:), Fly- 

 catchers (Muscicapida), and some Warblers {Sijlvina:). 



Prevention and PiEmedies. 



All weeds and rubbish should be kept away from raspberry 

 plantations. After an attack the stoclcs should be dressed with some 

 quicklime or soot in autumn and well hoed in ; another dressing 

 should follow in March, preferably in dry weather, and prong-hoed 

 in round the plants. The beetle may soon be cleared from planta- 

 tions by jarring the canes over tarred boards held on each side of 

 the canes at night. In doing this one must proceed carefully and 

 not turn the light on to the canes in front, as the least flash of a 

 lantern causes them to fall to the ground, before the men or boys 

 have the tarred boards ready to catch them. 



After the gardens have been so treated it is wise to go over 

 them in daytime and prong-hoe round each cane, and at once 

 spread around the cane ash and carbolic. A pint of carbolic to a 

 bushel of ash is usually sufficient. The same will also affect to some 

 extent the larvte, but by far the best remedy for the larvie is the 

 application of bisulphide of carbon, at the rate of ^ ounce to each 

 plant. This should be put in the ground, away from actual contact 

 with any roots, and then close over with earth or clay. It must 

 be used, however, in dry soil, and is best applied in as many small 

 injections as possible, as can easily be done with a 'N ermorel 

 Injector (p. 152). 



One part of naphthalene to ten of fine ash may also be raked into 

 the soil as a means of checking such ground insects. 



Ptccent work has shown that these weevils may be killed by 

 spraying with arsenate of lead. 



