April, '15] 



DEAN: POISONED BRAN MASH 



219 



FURTHER DATA ON POISONED BRAN MASH FLAVORED WITH 

 FRUIT JUICE AS A MEANS OF CONTROLLING SOME 



INSECTS 



By Geo. A. Dean, Entomologist of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station 



Grasshoppers 



Last year the writer read a paper before this association describing 

 how the grasshopper outbreak in Western Kansas was successfully 

 controlled by distributing over the infested areas poisoned bran mash 

 flavored with either orange or lemon juice. In that paper it was stated 

 that almost one thousand tons of poisoned bran mash were distributed 

 in twelve counties, totaling an area of twelve thousand square miles 

 and that from 60 to 80 per cent of the grasshoppers were killed by the 

 one appUcation. In the discussion that followed the writer further 

 stated that the adverse conditions produced by the dry, hot weather 

 probably played a considerable part in the unusual results accom- 

 plished. However, during the past season the same poisoned bait was 

 thoroughly tested in several localities where the climatic conditions 

 were entirely different from those of Western Kansas and the reports 

 from these districts are equally as good as those had in Kansas. In 

 an editorial of the August number of the Journal of Economic 

 Entomology we find the follomng statement relative to the use of 

 the bait in New York: "A localized though widespread outbreak of 

 the redlegged grasshopper and several associated forms was quickly 

 handled in threatened grain fields by the use of the Kansas bait, 

 brought to notice only last year. Djdng insects were to be seen within 

 four hours after the distribution of the bait and within three days 

 about four-fifths of the grasshoppers in a field were dead." A letter 

 of November 12, 1914,. from Mr. Arthur Gibson, chief assistant ento- 

 mologist of the Dominion of Canada, states: ^'You will be interested 

 to know that we had excellent results with the Kansas formula flavored 

 with lemons in Ontario and Quebec provinces. Near Ottawa counts 

 made diagonally across fields of oats, etc., gave 50 to 414 dead locusts 

 to the square yard. The cost was 25 cents per acre including labor. 

 In Quebec province the application of the mixture was even more 

 remarkable, the results being from 900 to 1,200 dead insects to the 

 square yard. The cost was 18 cents per acre exclusive of labor." 



This year in Kansas the poisoned bait was used under entirely differ- 

 ent conditions than those of the summer of 1913. There was no general 

 outbreak of grasshoppers but there were several local infestations in 

 the central and even in the eastern parts of the state, and during the 

 late summer and early fall the grasshoppers were in sufficient numbers 



