Do not use more insecticide than is recom- 
mended. To do so increases the hazard of leav- 
ing harmful residues on tobacco and creates an 
unnecessary expense. 
If the pests are still abundant several days 
after the first application, repeat the treatment. 
In most fields, 1 or 2 applications are sufficient 
for hornworm control during a growing season; 
but in some fields as many as 4 applications may 
be necessary. 
Endrin or TDE can be used to control other 
tobacco insects. Either insecticide is effective 
against the tobacco budworms if applied to the 
young leaves in the buds of the plants. Endrin 
will control flea beetles and grasshoppers, and 
partially control aphids. 
OTHER INSECTICIDES 
MAY REDUCE VALUE 
OF TOBACCO 
Certain insecticides other than endrin and 
TDE will control hornworms, but growers who 
use them run the risk of having their crops 
downgraded or rejected at market because of 
disagreeable odors or undesirable residues on 
tobacco. 
BHC, toxaphene, and lindane give odors to 
cured tobacco, and may seriously impair the 
flavor of cigarettes. Harmful deposits remain 
on leaves after the application of lead arsenate 
and paris green. Under some conditions, paris 
green may injure plants. 
When applied according to directions, endrin 
and TDE—the recommended insecticides—can 
be used effectively, and will not reduce the 
value of the tobacco crop. 
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NATURAL ENEMIES 
Hornworms and other pests of tobacco are 
preyed upon by beneficial insects such as wasps, 
flies, and stilt bugs. 
A tiny wasp (Apanteles congregatus), lays 
its eggs and completes its development within 
the hornworm’s body cavity. White cocoons of 
this wasp attached to the backs of hornworms 
are a familiar sight in tobacco fields. 
PRECAUTIONS 
Handle insecticides with care. Heed all pre- 
cautions prescribed by the manufacturer. 
Endrin is extremely poisonous and may be 
fatal if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through 
the skin. It should be applied only by a person 
who is thoroughly familiar with its hazards and 
who will assume full responsibility for safe use 
and comply with all the precautions on the 
labels. When workers must handle treated to- 
bacco within 5 days after the application of 
endrin, they should be protected against skin 
contact. They should wear rubber gloves and 
tightly woven clothes. 
TDE is less toxic to warmblooded animals 
than most insecticides when it is used at the 
dilutions and dosages recommended, and when 
it is spread thinly on the plants. 
This leaflet was prepared by the Entomology Research 
Division, Agricultural Research Service. It supersedes 
Leaflet No. 336, Control of Hornworms on Tobacco. 
Issued January 1956 Washington, D.C. 
Slightly revised November 1959 
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1959—O-506150 
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government 
Printing Office 
Washington 25, D.C. — Price $2.50 per 100 copies 
