CONTROL OF THE CIGARETTE BEETLE 13 



been sought. The results obtained from the use of the suction light 

 trap have been encouraging, and a progress report of trapping experi- 

 ments is given. 



The trap consists of a sheet-metal barrel, a reflector of block tin, 

 and a wire cone to which is attached a 1 -quart glass jar for collecting 

 the insects. A crossbar, to which is attached a Ko-horsepower motor, 

 is riveted in the barrel, and two fan blades, which provide suction 

 through the trap, are connected with the motor. These traps may 

 be constructed by local sheet-metal workers from a blueprint or 

 model at a, total cost of about $20 per trap (based on 1934 prices in 

 Virginia and North Carolina). 



The light that has been found to be most satisfactory for use in the 

 trap is the 50-watt "mill-type" or rough-service bulb. 



Three trapping experiments were conducted in 1933. Experiment 

 1 included 1,105,000 cubic feet of open-storage warehouses containing 

 Turkish tobacco and 4,199,000 cubic feet of the same type of ware- 

 houses containing domestic flue-cured tobacco. One suction light 

 trap was operated for each 110,500 cubic feet of storage space. Exper- 

 iment 2 included 1,897,000 cubic feet of open-storage Turkish tobacco 

 warehouses and 1,517,000 cubic feet of open-storage warehouse filled 

 with domestic flue-cured tobacco. A suction light trap was operated 

 for each 75,850 cubic feet of warehouse space. In both experiments 

 it was demonstrated that Turkish tobacco was more heavily infested 

 by the cigarette beetle than domestic tobacco, and that the migration 

 of this insect is influenced both by temperature and the season of the 

 year. 



Experiment 3 included 3,125,000 cubic feet of Turkish-tobacco 

 storage of the closed type. Trap records show a greater population 

 of the cigarette beetle in closed than in open storages. The largest 

 average catch of beetles, 954,619 per trap, was made during the 4-day 

 period September 9 to 13, when one trap was used for each 48,828 

 cubic feet of storage space. 



During 1932 and 1933 samples of trapped cigarette beetles were 

 dissected in order to determine sex ratios. In 1932, of the 5,878 

 beetles dissected, 36.6 percent were males and 63.4 percent were 

 females. In 1933, of the 1,140 beetles examined, 43.6 percent were 

 males and 56.4 percent were females. 



The suction light trap is not effective against the tobacco moth 

 (Ephestia elutella Hbn.). 



The suction light trap is a promising device for use in controlling 

 the cigarette beetle in open-storage warehouses. The large catches 

 of insects obtained in the experiments indicate that the population of 

 these insects in tobacco warehouses can be materially reduced with 

 these traps. 



