EXTERMINATION. 



245 



the State ; therefore the extermination of the moth directly 

 interests a large number of people. This fact assures the 

 intelligent co-operation of many individuals. 



The original centre of infestation in the district was situated 

 on a short line of railroad ending in Boston, and thus the 

 danger of distribution by rail was not great. 



The Infested Area has been reduced. — As a result of the 

 work of extermination, the region now occupied by the gypsy 

 moth is considerably less than that occupied by it five years 

 ago, when the work was begun. 



Slow Spreading. — The female moth does not fly. On 

 this fact rests the principal hope of preventing the spread of 

 the insect, and finally securing its extermination. Could 

 the female moth fly, as does the male, the species would 

 probably have been distributed long since over all eastern 

 Massachusetts and adjacent parts of New England, if not 

 farther. The moth occupied twenty years from the time of 

 its introduction in spreading over the territory infested by 

 it in 1891. 



The Moth hibernates in the Egg. — It remains in that 

 form during most of the fall, the winter and early spring. 

 The eggs are conspicuous, and an opportunity is thus given 

 for inspecting the territory and discovering the colonies of 

 the moth during the fall and winter months, while the trees 

 are leafless and the insect is doing no damage. It is more 

 feasible to exterminate an insect pest which may be attacked 

 in the winter, when it is stationary for a fixed period, than 

 to exterminate a species that can be reached only during 

 the summer months, at which time its distribution is being 

 efiected. 



Obstacles to Extermination. 

 Though there are many encouraging circumstances in 

 connection with the problem, there are also serious obstacles 

 to success. 



Enormous Reproductive Capacity of the Moth. — Its won- 

 derful reproductive powers and its remarkable tenacity of 

 life provide for a rapid increase and redistribution in an in- 

 fested locality in the inspection of which a few moths may 

 have been overlooked. 



