A63 



tool CO provide a more accurate early warning of potential infestations. They, 

 also, show promise as a control device, particularly in newly infested areas or 

 where control programs hold down weevils to less than 10 per acre. 



910. . 1969. Male signals draw weevils to cotton fields. Agric. Res. 

 17(7): 6. 



Boll weevils are drawn to cotton more by male weevils than by any attractant 

 the plant itself may have. This recent research finding suggests that traps 

 baited with male weevils, or with a male attractant (pheromone) yet to be 

 isolated, may help in detecting and suppressing infestations. 



911. 1969. Operation boll weevil. Trapping that 1 percent. Agric. Res. 

 18(4): 8-9. 



The large-scale field trial is underway in the Texas High Plains by ARS research 

 and regulatory entomologists, the Texas Department of Agriculture, Plains Cotton 

 Growers, Inc., the Cotton Producers Institute, and the Texas Agriculc .;ral 

 Experiment Station. The t'al area covers about 1,800 square miles where some 

 40,000 acres of cotton . grown each year. The boll weevil invaded this area 

 about 6 years ago but has been kept under economic control through a cooperative 

 spray program, which reduced the weevil population by about 99 percent each fall. 

 It is all but impossible, however, to find and kill the few weevils that manag-^ 

 to survive the winter. These weevils mate and start rebuilding the population. 

 The special trapping effort has materially reduced the boll weevil population. 

 As of August 10, only a few fields representing less than 5 percent of the 

 trapping zone's cotton acreage were lightly Infested. But 5 miles beyond the 

 trapping zone, the cotton fields were virtually 100-pcrcent infested. 



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