INJURIOUS INSECTS. 



95 



Figure 39— Striped 

 cucumber beetle. 



Striped Cucumber Beetle. (Diabrotica vittata.) — This little 

 beetle attacks squashes, cucumbers and melons 

 when they are young. By eating the foliage 

 and tender stems they may cause the death of 

 the young plants. When abundant it is a very 

 difficult pest to combat. It appears in the spring 

 at just about the time the young squash plants 

 are out of the ground, having wintered over in brush piles or 

 other places affording protection. The beetle lays its eggs on the 

 roots of corn where the young do considerable damage. These 

 worms, are full grown in about one month from hatching 

 They then leave the roots, make a little cavity in the earth near 

 by, and undergo their changes. The insects spend the winter In 

 the beetle stage. The beetle is about a quarter of an inch long 

 and is striped with yellow and black. It is very quick in its 

 movements but does not fly much except in the middle of the 

 day. 



Remedies. — An extra amount of seed should be sown so as 



to secure a good stand 

 and still allow some for 

 the beetles. Dusting the 

 vines, stems and leaves 

 when they are moist, 

 with air slaked lime, 

 road dust or similar 

 material containing a 

 little Paris green or 

 other poison, is quite a 

 protection, and if per- 

 sistently followed up aft- 

 er every rain will gen- 

 erally prevent serious 

 loss. But care should 

 be taken to put the dust 

 on the stems as well as 

 the leaves. Paris green 

 and water is also a good 



Figure 40-Cheese cloth screen for protecting remedy and is applied 

 cucumber, squashes and melon vines from ^^iq same aS for tho 

 the striped beetle when young. 



