KEEPING EVERGREENS HEALTHY 
Methods Recommended By 
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture & Markets 
With the advent of hot dry summer weather ever¬ 
greens should be given plenty of water and carefully 
guarded against red spider attack. This pest is a very 
small mite, barely visible. If allowed to become num¬ 
erous on evergreens the mite will, through its habit of 
sucking sap from the foliage, cause them to lose their 
characteristic colors and assume a “rusty” appearance. 
Red spider can readily be controlled by the employment 
of one of the following methods: 
1. Syringe the foliage with water under pressure 
from garden hose or power sprayer, taking particular 
pains to secure a forceful spray applied from under¬ 
neath the foliage. 
2. Spraying with a glue spray consisting of y 2 lb. 
of a cheap grade of ground bone glue in 5 gallons of 
water. (Dissolve the glue first in a small amount of 
boiling water.) 
3. Dust with sulphur liberally on a warm day, using 
a superfine commercial brand of dusting sulphur. 
FOLLOW DIRECTIONS—If used as recommended no 
injury will result from any of these treatments. Avoid 
spraying an evergreen in the middle of the day as 
water alone will sometimes result in injury by scalding 
at such times. Repeat treatment six days after first 
application to kill young spiders escaping in egg stage 
and remember that applications should be made as often 
as necessary because of continual reinfestations. 
Complete information on control measures for other 
insect pests and plant diseases of nursery stock will be 
gladly furnished upon request by addressing the State 
Entomologist, Room 14, Capitol Annex, Madison, Wis¬ 
consin. 
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