Deportment oi Agriculture entomologist suspension. Animals should never be 

 sprays cow with a five per cent water sprayed with DDT in oil suspension. 



USE OF DDT ON FARM 



Newspaper accounts of the magical 

 properties of the war-born insecticide 

 DDT have created wide interest among 

 farmers especially since limited quan- 

 tities have become available for agri- 

 cultural and civilian use. 



Even though several million pounds 



A five per cent DDT water suspension 



sprayed on bam walls will kill flies ond 



other insects aiter contact 



of DDT have been used by the army, 

 navy and public health service, the bu- 

 reau of entomology and plant quaran- 

 tine of the U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture warns that the knowledge of 

 practical uses of DDT insecticides in 

 agriculture and about the home are still 

 far from complete. 



DDT is suitable as an insecticide 

 only when suitably prepared. Various 

 strengths in solution are necessary for 

 different purposes. 



Of pleasing interest to farmers and 

 everyone else is the deadly effect of the 

 new insecticide on the common dis- 

 ease-bearing housefly. Nothing is more 

 effective in ridding houses, barns and 

 animals of this pest. 



Care should be taken, however, that 

 animals are sprayed with DDT in water 

 solution or in powder form. In oil 

 solution DDT is absorbed through the 

 skin and has a toxic effect. 



The Department of A^ritulturt rt 

 ports after preliminary tests that DDT 

 offers great promise in the fight against 

 insects that plague man and his live- 

 stock. Among the insects against 

 which DDT is effective are; body lict 

 bedbugs, flies of several species, mos 

 quitoes, clothes moths, carpet beetles, 

 silver fish, ticks, cockroaches, fleas, ants, 

 corn borers, tip moths, locu.st leaf 

 miners, sawflies, catalpa sphinx, ever- 

 green bagworms, webworms, canker- 

 worms, termites, leaf hopjxrs. tree hop- 

 pers, spittle bugs, and codling moths 



It is also deadly when applied to 



most potato plant pests, cabbage and 

 other caterpillars, some aphids and in 

 attacking insects which destroy forage 

 crops in the field and in storage. 



Because of the poison hazard, the 

 use of DDT is not recommended on 

 stored grains or cereal products that 

 are to be used for food by humans or 

 animals. It can, however, be used in 

 the vicinity of the stored food or plant 

 seed in such a way as to be almost 100 

 per cent effective. 



Most important drawback to the use 

 of DDT is that it is fatal to insects and 

 birds that are man's allies, as well as 

 to his enemies. Honey bees, for in- 

 stance, can be killed as readily by DDT 

 as houseflies. Many plants are retarded 

 by the effects of the new insecticide 

 although insufficient data has been 

 compiled on this factor to merit defi- 

 nite conclusions. Light applications, 

 however, appear to be injurious to 

 squash and other cucurbits. 



Conflicting reports have been re- 

 ceived on the effectiveness of DDT on 

 some species of ants, cockroaches, 

 spiders, and ticks, but the bureau of 

 entomology reports that it is rather in- 

 effective against the screwworm, the 

 heel fly or cattle grub, the chigger and 

 the poultry mite. 



Until more complete information is 

 available, it is recommended that per- 

 sons impatient to use the new insecticide 

 do so with caution by treating small 

 areas until it is certain the job is being 

 done satisfactorily. 



Housewife applies 10 per cent DDT powder 



behind baseboard in her home. DDT rids 



home oi many insect pests. 



FEBRUARY, 1946 



