36 BULLETIN NO. 4, DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



This insect is not equally common in all years nor in all localities. It 

 will sometimes be plenty and greatly damage one yard, while the closely 

 adjoining yard is untouched. As a rule, also, the outskirts of the yards 

 are the greatest sufferers, while the interior yards escape. The habit of 

 the moth seems to be to lay its eggs on all available places, and often 

 every shoot from the roots, amounting to fifteen or more, will turn out 

 *' muffle heads," and consequently useless. As many as twenty larvae 

 have been found in a single hill, while I myself have found thirteen 

 specimens. Where nothing is done to check them they do considerable 

 damage, and may, and indeed have destroyed entire yards. 



REMEDIES. 



The remedies to be recommended for the destruction of these insects 

 are simple, cheap, and efficient. 



First. Cultivate skunks. They are au invaluable aid, require no pay, 

 no care, and ask only to be let alone and not interfered with in their 

 work. In every yard in which the grubs were common, and where there 

 were any convenient hiding and breeding places for skunks near by, 

 traces of their presence could be seen in the tunnel made by the sharp 

 snout of the animal in its search for the fat larvae ; for it is not until the 

 larva is full grown or has changed into a pupa that the skunk cares to 

 hunt it up, but then he is a thorough worker, and where the traces of 

 skunk were seen on a hill it was very seldom that a larva or pupa could 

 be found. It was thus that, relying on the large numbers of young 

 larva? found in early spring, I found in July, when I went to gather 

 mature forms and pupae, that everywhere the skunks had preceded 

 me, so that it was with some difficulty I secured a few specimens, and 

 later, when I requested a grower to send me a few, I received answer 

 that none could be found. Of course some will escape and transform, 

 unless reached by some other means, and I would recommend — 



Second. Search for and destruction of the pupae in early spring. 

 This can be done without much additional labor when grubbing and 

 cleaning the roots. Most growers assured me, when I had described 

 or shown them the pupa, that they had seen the same thing every spring 

 when grubbing, but had not connected them with the " grub," and had 

 turned them under again when re-covering the roots. Instead of re- 

 covering, destroy each pupa seen, and keep a sharp lookout for them in 

 turning over the earth. A little experience will render the pupa readily 

 recognizable. 



Third. Destroy them when tip-worms and in the " muffle heads." The 

 " muffle heads" begin to appear when the vines have begun to climb, 

 and when growers are beginning to tie. In selecting the vines to be 

 trained on the pole be careful there are no " muffle heads," and wher- 

 ever one is observed pick it off, and by compression between the fingers 

 destroy the larva in the tip. As all the vines have to be handled in se- 

 lecting, very little time will be lost in picking off infested heads, and 

 by going through tl^e yards carefully every second day and picking off 



