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CIRCULAR No. 373 NOVEMBER, 1935 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 WASHINGTON, D.C. 



FUMIGATION OF FRESH FRUIT TO DESTROY THE 

 ADULT JAPANESE BEETLE 



By Max R. Osburn * and J. William Lipp, assistant entomologists, Division of 

 Japanese and Asiatic Beetle Investigations, Bureau of Entomology and Plant 

 Quarantine ' 



CONTENTS 



Page 

 Fumigation of fresh fruit with carbon disul- 

 phide and ethylene oxide 1 



Preliminary experiments 2 



Properties of carbon disulphide 2 



The fumigation house used for the tests. . 2 

 Effectiveness of carbon disulphide as a 



fumigant 3 



Temperature in fumigation with carbon 



disulphide 4 



Time of exposure in fumigation with car- 

 bon disulphide 5 



Penetration of carbon disulphide into 



baskets offruit 5 



Effect of carbon disulphide on fruit 6 



Absorption of carbon disulphide by fruit. 8 

 Previous experiments with ethylene 



oxide 8 



Properties of ethylene oxide 9 



Effectiveness of ethylene oxide as a fumi- 

 gant 9 



Temperature, exposure, and dosage in 



ethylene oxide fumigation 10 



Effect of ethylene oxide on certain small 



fruits 10 



Effect of ethylene oxide on wet green ba- 

 nanas 11 



Operation of commercial fumigation 

 houses 12 



Page 

 Fumigation of fresh fruit with carbon disul- 

 phide and ethylene oxide — Continued. 

 Recommendations for the use of carbon 



disulphide 13 



Recommendations for the use of ethylene 



oxide ic 



Fumigation of green b&nanas by the use of 



hydrocyanic acid 16 



Discussion of methods used prior to 1930. 17 



Tests with commercial products 18 



Tests with liquid hydrocyanic acid 22 



Reaction of adult beetles to liquid hydro- 

 cyanic acid 22 



Method of application of liquid hydro- 

 cyanic acid to refrigerator cars 23 



Comparisons of the use of calcium cyanide 



and liquid hydrocyanic acid 24 



Absorption of hydrocyanic acid by bana- 

 nas 24 



Injury to fruit 25 



Recommendations for refrigerator-car 



fumigation 27 



Precautions to be observed 27 



Summary 27 



Literature cited 28 



FUMIGATION OF FRESH FRUIT WITH CARBON DISULPHIDE AND 



ETHYLENE OXIDE 3 



Raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are grown extensively 

 in sections of New Jersey infested by the Japanese beetle (Popillia 

 japonica Newm.). A certain proportion of the crop must be mar- 

 keted at points outside the area now quarantined because of this 

 beetle, but it is known that boxes and crates of fresh fruit har- 

 vested and shipped during the season when adult Japanese beetles 

 are present are likely to be infested with this pest unless control 

 methods are employed. 



During the summer of 1928 such fruits were inspected and, if 

 found to be free of beetles, were certified for shipment out of the 



1 Transferred to the Division of Fruit Insect Investigations Aug. 1, 1934. 



2 The writers take this opportunity to acknowledge the assistance given by W. E. 

 Fleming. 



3 By Max R. Osburn. 



1539°— 35 1 



