212 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1906. 



pillars shed their skins the molts are blown about, widely 

 scattering the barbed hairs. Thus in infested districts it is no 

 uncommon occurrence for whole families to suffer from the 

 rash caused by the hairs which settle upon clothes hung out to 

 dry. Children gathering cherries are badly "poisoned," and 

 people have been obliged to leave their homes for uninfested 

 places in order to recover from attacks of the " caterpillar rash," 

 which sometimes results in serious illness. 



The cocoon. The caterpillars are usually full grown in June. 

 They then spin loose cocoons, attached commonly to leaves, 

 though sometimes other shelter is sought. Within these they 

 transform to brown pupae about three-fourths of an inch long. 

 From the first to the twentieth of July the moths with pure white 

 wings and brown-tipped abdomens emerge from these cocoons 

 to deposit eggs for the next generation of caterpillars. 



REMEDIAL MEASURES. 



Natural Enemies. In the course of time, the natural enemies 

 may become established also and take their share in the work. 

 Doctor Howard, Chief of the Bureau of Entomology, and Mr. 

 A. H. Kirkland, Massachusetts Superintendent for Suppressing 

 the Gypsy and Brown-tail moths, are uniting their efforts in 

 introducing parasites of these moths from European countries. 

 Results from such work are necessarily slow and though the 

 parasites may in time become a most effective means of lessening 

 the numbers of these introduced pests, as parasites already do 

 with many native moths, for the present season at least they 

 cannot be expected to serve for a substitute for other remedial 

 measures. 



Cutting and burning the winter nests is the most important of 

 the remedies because it is the easiest, cheapest, and, if thorough- 

 ly done, a sufficient protection against the ravages of this pest. 

 The webs and leaves that compose the nest are woven tightly to 

 the tips of the branches and hang there like dead leaves all win- 

 ter. With so many months for inspection there is no excuse for 

 harboring the hibernating caterpillars on shade or orchard trees. 

 After they are cut from the branches, the nests should be burned, 

 as this is the simplest way of destroying the colony within. 



Destruction of breeding places. Much can be done in infested 

 districts by clearing out wild cherry tangles and other growths 

 which serve as a breeding place for these moths. 



