|H 



- 



Portion of 



tobacco 



plant 



showing 



severe 



hornworm 



damage. 



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 — are 

 safe to use, and will not reduce the value of the 

 tobacco crop. 



?ty6t'fomyit4ect S^emce^ 



Hornworms 

 on underside 

 of a 

 tobacco leaf 



£ 

 « 



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. Avoid unne- 

 cessary exposure while mixing or applying them. 



TDE is considerably less toxic to warm- 

 blooded animals than most insecticides, when 

 it is used at the dilutions and dosages recom- 

 mended for hornworm control, and when it is 

 spread thinly on the plants. Avoid inhaling 

 any form of TDE and getting it on the skin. 



Endrin is more toxic than TDE. It is toxic 

 by skin absorption, by inhalation, and by inges- 

 tion. Follow all directions and heed all precau- 

 tions prescribed by the manufacturer. 



This leaflet was prepared by D. J. Caffrey, Entomology 

 Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service. It 

 supersedes Leaflet No. 336, Control of Hornworms on 

 Tobacco. 



Issued January 1956 



Washington, D. C. 



U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE . 1955— 0-358962 



For sale by the Superintendent of Documents. U. S. Government 



Printing Oflice 



Washington 25, D. C. - Price $2.50 per 100 copies 



