AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 127 



Remedies. 



As these insects do not leave tbe web to feed and are protected 

 by it, spraying to kill them would do no good. The best way is 

 to strip the webs from the extremities of the branches with the 

 hand as soon as they appear, and destroy them with the included 

 young caterpillars. The twigs bearing the small webs should be cut 

 off with a knife when on the low branches, or with long handled 

 pruning shears if on high branches and burned. These insects 

 should be destroyed while the webs are small. There is no 

 excuse for allowing them to remain until large branches are 

 involved in the web. The webs are unsightly and even when the 

 insects are not abundant enough to do serious damage they should 

 be destroyed. 



The natural enemies of this insect are many. Outside of 

 insect parasites and predacious insect enemies, screech owls, 

 cuckoos, the common toad and several species of spiders feed 

 upon them. The} 7 have but few bird enemies, being so hairy birds 

 will not eat them. Those mentioned above and the common toad 

 eat the whole insect, while the spiders suck the soft parts out and 

 leave the shell. 



Among the predacious insects, the Mantis or rear horse in the 

 south, and the wheel bug and other hemipterous insects in other 

 parts of the country help to hold them in check. The true para- 

 sites are those that lay their eggs in the eggs or caterpillars of the 

 web-worm and destroy them. They consist of hymenopterous 

 or ichneumon like insects and tachina flies. Of Ihe former one 

 species infests the eggs, and two others lay their eggs in the 

 caterpillars. One species of tachina at least is known to imfest 

 the larvae of the web-worm. The eggs of the parasites hatch 

 and their larvae destroy the web-worm, and from their chrysalids 

 or cocoons the parasites come forth. 



