1346 Tur VecerasBLte Inpustry In New York Strate 
sucks out the juices. The nymphs grow and shed their skins five 
times before they become adults. More than a month is usually 
required for the bug to reach full size. There is only one gener- 
ation a year. 
Control. The full-grown squash bug and the nymphs puncture 
the leaves of the squash and suck out the juices, thus causing 
the leaves and finally the whole plant to wither and die. In 
addition, the bugs may carry from one plant to another a very 
serious bacterial disease, the wilt, which sometimes causes a great 
deal of injury. 
Poisons will not kill the bugs, but early in the spring one should 
keep a sharp lookout for the old bugs and catch them by hand 
before they lay their eggs. <A little later the eggs, when laid, 
may also be destroved. The old overwintering bugs may be 
trapped under pieces of hoards, bark or shingles laid on the 
ground. The bugs will crawl under these for shelter and may be 
caught and killed in the early cool spring mornings when they 
are not very active. 
STRIPED CUCUMBER BEETLE 
The striped cucumber beetle (Diabrotica vittata) is only about 
two-fifths of an inch in length. The ground color is yellow 
above but the head is black, and there are three 
black lines running lengthwise of the back. 
The underside of the body is mostly black 
(Fig. 402). 
The full-grown beetles spend the winter hid- 
den away beneath leaves and other rubbish, but 
they appear early in spring and feed on such 
plants as they can find until the cucumbers and 
melons are up. After feeding for awhile on 
Fic. 402.—Srripep their favorite plants they lay eggs in crevices 
Cvevmper Bertie, of the soil near the roots of the vines. The 
ENLARGED F : , 
eges hatch into slender, white, worm-like larve 
that live on the roots of the plants and cause more or less injury. 
In about one month the larve change to pupe and in about one 
week more the adult beetles appear. In most parts of New York 
State there are probably two generations a season, while on Long 
Tsland there may be three. 
