| Show I I r FIUJIP DESTRQEB THE CODLING MOTH AND HOW IT 1 GElS IN ITS WORK 1j j Its Favorite i the Apple But I Also Attacks Pears Peaches andilnms I A Remedial Prescription The codling moth carpocapsa pomo nella Linio This Insect which appears ap-pears in the early worm eatenapple and pears in the for of a reddish white grub was introduced into this country with the apple tree from Europe Eu-rope I causes the fruit to fall prematurely pre-maturely from the trees The early brood of moths appears on the wing I about the time of the openingof the apple blossoms when the female deposits de-posits her tiny yellow eggs singly in the calyx or eye just as the young apple is forming in a few instances they have been observed in the hollow at the stalk end and occasionally on the smooth surface of the cheek of the apple In about a week the egg hatches and the tiny worm at once begins to eat through the apple to the I core Usually its castings are pushed out through the hole by which i has entered the passage being enlarged I from time to time for this purnose Some of the castings commonly adhere to the apple hence before the worm is full grown infested fruit may generally gen-erally be detected by the mass of red dishbrown exuviae protruding from the eye Sometimes as the larva approaches ap-proaches maturity it eats a passage through the apple at the side and out of this opening thrusts its c stn sand s-and through i the larva when full grown escapes The head and upper portion of the first segment of the young larvae are usually black but as it approaches maturity this changes to 3 brown color The body is of a flesh color or pinkish tint more highly colored col-ored on the back it is also sprinkled I with minute elevated points from I each of which there arises a single fine hair In three or four weeks from the i time of hatching the early brood of larvae attain full growth when the occupied apples generally fall prematurely prema-turely t the ground sometimes with the worm in them but more often after it has escaped The larva which leave the apples while still on the trees stl either crawl down the branches to the trunk of the tree or let themselves down to the ground by a fine silken thread which they spin at will In either case whether they crawl up or down the greater portion of them find their way to the trunks of the trees where under the rough bark and in cracks and crevices they spin their cocoons Having selected a suitable hiding place the larvae constructs a papery looking silken cocoon which Is white inside and disguised on the outside by attaching to the silky threads small fragments of the bark of the tree or i other available debris I After the cocoon is completed the change to the chrysalis takes place in the early brood in about three days At first the pupa is of a pale yellow color deepening in a day or two to pale brown the insect remains in this condition about two weeks when the moth escapes Each moth is capable of laying on an average probably rot less than fifty eggs but these are not all matured at once by careful dissection they maybe may-be found in the body of the moth indifferent in-different stages of development Hence they are deposited successively extending ex-tending over a period probably of from one to two weeks or more Add to this the fact that some of the moths are retarded in their development in > the sprine and it is easy to account for the finding of larvae of various sizes attire at-tire same time indeed sometimes the later specimens from the first brood will not have escaped from the fruit before some of the young larvae of the second brood make their appearance the broods thus as it were overlapping overlap-ping each other and very much extending ex-tending the period for the appearance of the winged insects The moth conceals itself during the daytime and appears only at nich and since it is not readily attracted by light is seldom seen The second brood of moths are usually on the wing during the latter half of July when they pair and in a few days the female fe-male begins to deposit her eggs for the j later brood of larvae generally electing elect-ing for this purpose the later apples These larvae mature during the au tumn or early winter months It they escape before the fruit Is gathered they seek some sheltered nook under the loose bark of a tree or other r convenient hiding place but If carried with the fruit into the cellar they may often be found about the barrels and bins in which It is stored a favorite hiding place is between the hoops and staves of the apple barrels where they are found sometimes by hundreds If thus provided with snug winter quarters quar-ters and through negligence allowed to escape the fruitgrower must expect to suffer increased loss for his want oC care Having fixed on a suitable spot the larvae spins its little tough cocoon firmly fastened to the place of attachment attach-ment and within this it remains in the larval state until early the following spring when it changes to a brown chrysalis and shortly afterwards the moth appears to begin the work of the opening season Besides injuring the apple it is very destructive to the pear It Is also found on the wild crab and occasionally occasion-ally on the plum and peach Sometimes two larvae will be found on the same fruit Besides the codling moth there area are-a great many more injurious insects to the apple At the Columbian Exhibition the United States Entomologist commission com-mission exhibited thirtyfive different insects injurious to the apple but space does not all ow me to name them allBelow Below I give a prescription or reme dy by which to destroy if not all a great number of the moths The same Is recommended by Professor of Entomology Ento-mology C V Riley TRAPPING SYSTEM One of the most effective methods yet devised for reducing the numbers of this insect is to trap the larvae and chrysalides and destroy them This Is best done by applying bands around the trunks of the trees about six inches in width strips of old sacking carpet cloth or fabric of any kind will serve the purpose and although not so durable du-rable many use common brown paper Whatever material is used it should be wound entirely around the tree once or twice and fastened with a string or tack Within such enclosure the larvae lar-vae hide and transform The bands should be applied not later than the first of June and visited every eight or ten days until the last of August each time taken off and examined and all the worms and chrysalides found un for them destroyed They should also be visited once after the crop Is secured se-cured Usually the cocoons under the ban dapes are partly attached to the treev and partly to the bandage so that when the latter is removed the cocoon is torn asunder when It often happens that the larvae or chrysalis will fall to the ground and if it escapes no tice may there complete Its transformations transform-ations There are other remedies to be used which I will give in another issue of this paper Anyone desirous of information infor-mation in regard to matters pertaining to horticulture can write to the un dersigned and will receive a prompt answeriTHCXVIAS iTHCXVIAS E VTSSING Assistant Secretary Utahs State Board of Horticulture Box 1073 City |
