42 REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 1 92 1 



These were not begun until after the insects had been in the field 

 for 2 weeks, and as a consequence the tests were not entirely satis- 

 factory. Each cage consisted of a Mason jar containing a small 

 bottle in which was placed a raspberry shoot which had been pre- 

 viously sprayed with poison, and then ten beetles were added. The 

 poisoned shoots were replaced with fresh ones every other day and 

 a check cage was also maintained. Arsenate of lead was one of the 

 poisons used and in 24 to 48 hours the first dead beetles were 

 found, most, if not all, succumbing at the end of 6 days. In the 

 check cage one beetle died 3 days after the experiment was started. 

 Six escaped at this time and the remaining three were found dead 

 at the end of a 6-day period. Fortunately, there was in addition a 

 stock jar containing a large number of the insects and here there 

 were relatively few deaths. 



Although these experiments were started late in the development 

 of the insect ; it is evident that the beetles can be destroyed by spray- 

 ing with poison, though great care should be taken to drive the 

 spray into the crevices of the unfolding leaves. It is probable that 

 two or three applications at 3-day intervals, at the time the beetles 

 are most abundant would give the greatest protection and make 

 possible the production of a fair crop even in the badly infested 

 raspberry patch. 



In correspondence with Professor Gossard of Ohio it developed 

 that spraying with a poison had not been entirely satisfactory and 

 that in the case of badly infested fields, supplementary applications 

 of kerosene emulsion have been advised. 



It is evident that the raspberry beetle is a somewhat local insect 

 and the serious injuries mentioned above appear to have been con- 

 fined to a relatively small proportion of the raspberries in that well- 

 known, small fruit section of the Hudson valley. The insect has 

 been troublesome in earlier years. There is a record 1 of injury in 

 that section for 191 7 and also for 191 1. 2 In both of these cases 

 serious injury appears to have been restricted to a small section 

 and the same is evidently true of earlier reports which need not be 

 cited in this connection. 



Comparatively little is known regarding the factors favoring the 

 multiplication of this raspberry beetle and in view of the fact that 

 it occasionally causes serious damage, there should be a careful 

 investigation of the pest for the purpose of working out more satis- 

 factory control measures. 



1 1918, N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 202, p. 49-50. 

 3 1912, N. Y. State, Mus. Bui. 155, p. 102-3. 



