HOMEOWNER PROBLEMS 



Crickets often migrate considerable distances at this time of year. Ordinarily their 

 food supply (in pastures, fencerow, ditch banks, and other grassy areas) dries up in 

 late August or early September. This food shortage --added to their instinctive desire 

 to migrate- -results in huge swarms, often suddenly appearing around lights at night. 

 Whether or not this migration will occur this year remains to be seen. A chlordane 

 spray around the house foundation and the doorway will help reduce the number of in- 

 vaders that get into the house. 



Leafhoppers also migrate in great numbers and are annoying in and around the home . These 

 wedge-shaped green insects are attracted by the thousands to lights. As with crickets, 

 they have the urge to migrate as they mature and their food dries up. Chlordane sprays 

 will also be helpful here. 



Ants and spiders as well as leafhoppers and crickets are controlled with foundation 

 sprays of 1 -percent chlordane in water. Use the emulsifiable concentrate and dilute 

 with water to a 1-percent strength. Spray the foundation of the house to runoff, as 

 well as a 4- inch strip of soil alongside the foundation. 



Millipedes , the hard-shelled thousand- legged "worms," often migrate into homes in the 

 fall. When disturbed they coil up into a tight ball or roll. A spray of carbaryl (Sev- 

 in) on the foundation and several feet out into the yard will greatly reduce the num- 

 ber of millipedes that enter the home. 



Ground beetles are black, brown, or green beetles of various sizes. They run rapidly 

 and are found almost everywhere. They migrate from the fields into homes where they 

 are considered to be nuisances. However, they are beneficial- -they feed on other in- 

 sects. No control is recommended. If they are too great an annoyance in the home, a 

 foundation spray of chlordane or carbaryl will help. 



The first gypsy moth catch recorded in Illinois was trapped and identified this past 

 week. The male gypsy moth was captured in a disparlure -baited trap, one of many traps 

 operated by personnel of the Division of Plant Industry, Illinois Department of Agri- 

 culture and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine 

 Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The first gypsy moth found in the state was 

 caught in Palos Township in south Cook County by a ranger of the Cook County Forest 

 Preserve District. 



The gypsy moth, a serious pest of trees in the northeastern United States, has slowly 

 moved westward. The moths hitch rides on campers returning from infested areas or de- 

 posit their egg masses on automobiles, campers, railroad cars, and other mobile units. 

 Male moths have dark-brown forewings, have a 1-1/2-inch wingspread, and are strong fli- 

 ers. Female moths are white with black wing markings, are much larger than the males, 

 and do not fly. 



Egg masses often go unnoticed by owners. Egg masses look very much like a small sec- 

 tion of sponge. They may be found on pieces of bark, ] ive trees, rocks, logs, fallen 

 branches, and other items. An egg mass may contain from 50 to 800 eggs, depending upon 

 the age and intensity of the infestation and site conditions. 



Young caterpillars are slightly over 1/10 inch long just after emerging from the eggs. 

 They have black heads and brownish-yellow bodies, well covered with long hairs. Mature 

 larvae reach a length of 2-1/2 inches. As larvae mature, markings become more distinct, 

 revealing a double row of conspicuous blue and red dots or tubercles down the caterpil- 

 lars' backs. 



