LIBRARY 
 STATE PLANT BOARD 
 
 October 1943 E-604 
 
 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
 
 Agricultural .Research Administration 
 
 Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 
 
 HYDROCYANIC ACID AS A FUKIGANT FOR THE JAP. ETLE 
 
 By Walter E, Fleming and Emory D. Burgess, 
 Division of Fruit Insect Investigations ±/ 
 
 Contents 
 
 Pa pre 
 
 Introduction , . 1-2 
 
 Ilycrocyanic acid used 2 
 
 Fumigation equipment 2-3 
 
 Minimum te - . : : <e~at';reG and exposures required fcr differ 
 
 amounts of hydrocyanic acid to kill the "beetles 3-7 
 
 Effectiveness in empty refrigerator cars 9-10 
 
 Effectiveness in refrigerator cars " i Lth cold i 
 
 bananas 11-12 
 
 Summary and cone 1 . usions 13 
 
 Introduction 
 
 In 1935 Osburn and Lipp %/ reported. that the adult Japanese 
 beetle ( Popi llia japonioa Newman) could be killed in a refrigerator 
 car by introducing o ounces of hydrocyanic acid and hoi din- the gas 
 
 in the car for 2 hours at a temperature of 75° F. During the 
 summer of 1937 it was found that this treatment was rot a] 
 completely effective, part:'" the temperatur cars 
 
 was below 7.';°, and the question was raised by the Division of 
 Japanese Beet]'-. Control ho-, r the treatment might be modified to 
 it effective. 
 
 ials of the 
 Amen i Lon, the Fruit 
 
 i 
 tion 
 
 the . , , 
 
 ring the summers of 
 
 Z/ , , "ion of fresh fruit 
 
 to d .r r etle. U. S, 
 
During 1937 and in 1938 an investigation was carried on at 
 Moorestown, N. J., Wilmington, Del., and New York, N. Y., to establish 
 more definitely the relationship between the various factors and the 
 effectiveness of hydrocyanic acid against the adult beetle, and to 
 determine how the treatment might be modified under the different con- 
 ditions to obtain satisfactory results. 
 
 Hydrocyanic Acid Used 
 
 The hydrocyanic acid used in this investigation was of the 
 commercial grade, containing 96 to 98 percent of HCN. In most of the 
 experiments sealed cans containing definite amounts of hydrocyanic 
 acid absorbed in fiber discs were used, but in some experiments the 
 desired amount of liquid hydrocyanic acid was measured before being 
 introduced into the refrigerator car. 
 
 The sealed cans used in the experiments at Moorestown contained 
 exactly 2 ounces or 6 ounces of HCN. In the experiments at Wilmington! 
 in cooperation with the Division of Japanese Beetle Control, the 
 inspectors used cans containing slightly more than G ounces of HCN in 
 order to compensate for the losses that might occur in introducing 
 the material into the refrigerator cars. The fiber discs in the cans 
 were attached at their median points by means of a. cord so that a 
 chain of discs could be suspended. Two chains, each with 5 or S 
 discs, were in each 6-ounce can. The discs in the cans containing 2 
 ounces were in one chain or were not attached to one another. 
 
 Fumigation Equipment 
 
 A 1,000-cubic-foot fumigation chamber at Moorestown, N. J., 
 was used in the major study of the relation betvreen the mortality of 
 the insect and the various factors. This chamber was lined with gal- 
 vanized iron with all joints soldered, and gaskets were on the door 
 and the ventilating window. The temperature of the chamber was raised 
 by means of a hot-water system, thermostatically controlled, but there 
 was no provision for cooling the chamber. It was necessary to conduct 
 all the experiments at or above the temperature prevailing outside. 
 Fans were provided for circulating the air in the chamber throughout 
 the experimental periods and for removing the gas at the completion of 
 a treatment. This chamber was not absolutely gas-tight but it was 
 believed to be at least as tight as most chambers of its type. The 
 work was done when the velocity of the wind was comparatively low, 
 in order to minimize the factor of leakage. 
 
The experiments in the refrigerator cars were conducted with 
 empty care that were prepared for loading with fruit or vegetables 
 and with cars loaded with bananas. The average volume of these cars, 
 including the load space and -the ice bunkers, was about 2,400 cubic 
 feet. The average air space in a car loaded with bananas was 
 estimated to be about 1,600 cubic feet. A slat floor was laid in the 
 load space. Grills at the top and the bottom of the partitions between 
 the load space and the bunkers permitted air from the load space to 
 circulate through the bunkers. 
 
 Although every precaution was taken to try to make these c?r^ 
 gas-tight--sealing the drains from the ice bunkers and securing the 
 hatches and -oors firmly in place — the refrigerator cars were less 
 gas-tight than the chamber. ITo chemical analyses have been made to 
 determine the leakage of gas from the cars, but it was not uncommon 
 to find a very pronounced odor of hydrocyanic acid in the vicinity of 
 .a car containing gas, particularly around the doors and hatches. 
 
 Minimum Temperatures and Exposures Required for Different 
 Amounts of Hydrocyanic Acid to Kill the Beetles 
 
 The experiments with the a Jiese beetle were conducted 
 during a 6-week period in the r en this stage was abundant in 
 the vicinity of Moorestown, N, J. This period is too short for ox- 
 tensive experimentation, and the lack of refrigeration in the chamber 
 made it impossible to obtain any information at temperatures below 70° F, 
 when the beetles vrere present. It was decided, therefore, to conduct 
 as many experiments as possible with the adults and then to continue 
 the experiments throughout the year, using third irtstars as test insects. 
 
 In the experiments with the adults in the fumigation chamber, 
 the beetles were collected in the field from unsprayed tre< irubs 
 before 7 a.m.' of the day they were to be treated, divided into groups 
 of 200, and placed in wire cages. Three cages were used in each ex- 
 periment. One ci ;< was placed 4 inches above the floor, another 5 
 feet above the floor, and the third 9 feet above the floor. After the 
 
 the chamber, the circulating fans iver at 
 
 least 1 hour before the ;as was introduced. At the end of this p< r 
 a record was made of the temperature, and one or more cars of hydrocyanic 
 acid were opened and the fiber discs • r in a 
 
 pan on the floor, 8 fee age. Pans were 
 
 operated it the experimental peri id, A reoor the 
 
 temperature in the chamber at intervals of 15 minutes dun 
 exposure of the beetles to the gas. At the end of the predel 
 exposure the cages were removed open ins* i ". , " nere 
 
 eetles were kept under observation until their reaction could be 
 ined. As the mortality of unfumij 
 tions ranged from to 25 percent ai 24 hours i 
 
 inoreased rapidly thereafti , inal obs< 
 beetles were made 24 hours after their removal fr 
 
 the completion of a treatment the chamber wai 18 
 
 hours before another experiment was begun. 
 
_- 4 - 
 
 The experiments with, the. third instar were conducted in prac- 
 tically the same manner. The larvae were removed from soil and placed 
 without soil in perforated metal cages, which were divided into 100 
 compartments to prevent the larvae from injuring one another. Three 
 cages with 300 larvae were used' in each experiment. After the treat- 
 ment was completed the larvae we're- removed from the cages and placed 
 for observation on the surface of moist sifted peat in cross-sectional 
 trays. As the natural mortality of the larvae under these conditions 
 was very low, it was possible to keep the fumigated individuals under 
 observation for a relatively long period— 1 to 2 weeks — until the effect 
 of the treatment could.be definitely established. 
 
 In conducting this investigation, 2S1 experiments, involving 
 118,500 fumigated insects and 10,000 unfumigated individuals, were per- 
 formed in the chamber. The adults were exposed for periods of 0.5 to 
 3 hour's to concentrations of hydrocyanic acid ranging from 2 to 6 
 ounces per 1,000 cubic feet at temperatures of from 70° to 100* F. j 
 the larvae we're exposed for these periods to treatments of from 2 to 
 10 ounces at temperatures of from 45° to 100', In these experiments 
 it was possible to maintain the temperature within - l e during the 
 treatments, but it was not possible to perform the experiments at .fixed 
 intervals between 45° and 100°. 
 
 It was evident that there was a changing relationship between 
 the mortality and the temperature and exposure to a given concentration 
 of gas. The mortality varied with the joint effect of temperature ai:;: 1 
 exposure. The joint functional relation between the mortality and these, 
 factors was determined according to the procedure outlined by Ezekiel zi * 
 using the results obtained with 80,400 adults and 38,100 larvae. It 
 was found that the values obtained from the joint functional curves wore 
 in very close agreement with the experimentally determined mortalities, 
 the standard error of estimate being about 1 percent. Within the range 
 of the experimental data, the most probable mortalities that wduld be 
 expected with the different concentrations of hydrocyanic acid and ex- 
 posures were determined at 5-degreo intervals for temperatures ranging 
 from 45° to 100° F, The results are summarized in tables 1 and 2, 
 
 As the joint functional values are based on the reactions of 
 several thousands of insects, each value in the tables may be considered 
 as being the most probable mortality of several thousand individuals, 
 It is believed that these values are more reliable and closer to the 
 true mortality than the results of an individual experiment with 300 
 or 600 individuals. It would be expected, however, that when the 
 tabular value of the treatment is 99 percent there will be many cases 
 in which the treatment will kill all the insects. 
 
 3/ Ezekiel, M, Methods of correlation analysis, 427 pp., illus, 
 John Wiley and Sons, New York. 1930, 
 
- 5 - 
 
 A careful study of the data in tables 1 and 2 indicates that the 
 mortality curves for the adults and the larvae tend to coincide as they 
 approach 100 percent. As no low mortalities were obtained at tempera- 
 tures above 70° F. in the identical treatments applied to both stages, 
 it is not possible to determine how these curves would compare at 
 lower levels of mortality. However, since this close relationship 
 
 s with mortalities approaching 100 percent in the overlapping ex- 
 periments at 70° and above, it seemed reasonable to expect that the 
 same relationship would prevail at temperatures below 70°. It would 
 seem proper under these conditions to assume that a treatment that was 
 effective in hilling all the larvae at the lower temperatures would be 
 equally effective against the adults. Base'u on the data given in tables 
 1 and 2, the minimum exposure and temperature at which 2, 4, 5, and 8 
 ounces of hydrocyanic acid would be expected to hill practically all the 
 beetles were determined. It would be expected that these treatments 
 would produce 100 percent mortality in many cases, but occasionally 1 
 percent of the beetles might survive. The minimum requirements for 
 these treatments are presented in table 3, 
 
 Table 1. — Mortality of adult Japanese beetles exposed to hydrocyanic acid 
 in a 1,000-cubic-foot fumigation chamber, as deter: '. 
 by the joint functional rolatio.n between mortality and the 
 temperature; and exposure 
 
 Ounces 
 
 of HCN , 
 
 to 1,000 Exposure Percent mortality 1/ at indicated _temperature in 
 
 cubic feet 
 
 in hours 
 
 7b 
 63.7 
 
 75 
 73. g" 
 
 30 
 75.9 
 
 85 
 79,4 
 
 90 
 31.3 
 
 95 
 82.6 
 
 100 
 
 2 
 
 0.5 
 
 33.6 
 
 
 1 
 
 94,8 
 
 95.2 
 
 97.7 
 
 98.2 
 
 93 . 9 
 
 99.3 
 
 99.6 
 
 
 1,5 
 
 97.7 
 
 98.6 
 
 99.3 
 
 99.5 
 
 99,5 
 
 . 
 
 10C.0 
 
 
 ■2 
 
 •98.5 
 
 99.3 
 
 99.8 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 . 
 
 100,0 
 
 
 3 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 . 
 
 . 
 
 100.0 
 
 . 
 
 4 
 
 0.5 
 
 93.2 
 
 98.5 
 
 98,9 
 
 99.1 
 
 99.2 
 
 .99.2 
 
 . 
 
 
 1 
 
 99.6 
 
 99.8 
 
 99.9 
 
 . 
 
 100,0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 1.5 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100,0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100,0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 2 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 . 
 
 . 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 •3 
 
 100.0 
 
 "100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100,0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 6 
 
 0.5 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100. 
 
 •100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100,0 
 
 
 1 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 100.0 
 
 . 
 
 100.0 
 
 *J 
 
 Standard error with the 2-ouncc tr< . and 
 
 with the 4-ounce treatment it was 1,0 pi r 
 
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- 7 - 
 
 Table 5.— The minimum temperature and exposure- 
 required for different concentrations 
 of hydrocyanic acid to kill the adult 
 Japanese beetle 
 
 Ounces of 
 
 
 
 HCN per 
 
 Minimum 
 
 Minimum 
 
 1,000 
 
 effective 
 
 effective 
 
 cubic 
 
 exposure 
 
 temperature 
 
 feet 
 
 in hours 
 
 in °F. 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 95 
 
 
 1.5 
 
 80 
 
 
 2 
 
 75 
 
 
 3 
 
 65 
 
 4 
 
 0.5 
 
 85 
 
 
 1 
 
 6,5 
 
 
 1.5 
 
 55 
 
 
 2 
 
 45 
 
 6 
 
 0.5 
 
 ' 70 
 
 
 1 
 
 55 
 
 
 1.5 
 
 45 
 
 45 
 
 When hydrocyanic acid is used at the rate of 2 ounces to 1,000 
 cubic feet, it appears that a minimum temperature of 75* F. is necessary 
 to kill all the adults with a 2-hour exposure. At higher tempera - ! ;i r 
 period of exposure could be reduced to 1.5 hours at 80' and to 1 hour at 
 95°. Within a 3-hour exposure the minimum effecti-ve temperature for the 
 2-ounco treatment appears to be 65°, 
 
 If it is not practical to p bhe period of treatment for more 
 than 2 hours in the commercial treatments, it would seem necessary to in- 
 crease the amount of hydrocyanic acid to 4 ounces to 1,000 cubic feet in 
 order to destroy the beetles F, It would be 
 
 expected that a 2-hour expqsure to the 4-ounoe treatment would be effec- 
 tive at a minimui r . 
 
- 8 - 
 
 Effectiveness in Empty Refrigerator Cars 
 
 During the summers of 1957 and 1938 experiments were conducted 
 in empty refrigerator cars at Moore s town, N. J., and Wilmington, Del., 
 with 6 and 12 ounces of hydrocyanic acid per car to determine the 
 effectiveness of the treatments under commercial conditions. In the 
 experiments at Moorestown 11 cages, each containing approximately 200 
 beetles, were placed throughout the car— at the bottom of each ice 
 bunker, on the floor, 3 feet above the floor, and 6 feet above the floor 
 of the load space; at Wilmington 4 cages containing 50 beetles were 
 placed on the floor between the loading doors. When the cages were in 
 position, a record was made of the temperature in the car and the fumigant 
 was applied. In applying the fumigant 2 men worked together to expedite 
 the operation; one man raised and lowered the hatches of the bunkers, 
 the other handled the hydrocyanic acid, A chilled can of hydrocyanic aoid 
 was opened on the roof of the car near a hatch, and a string of fiber 
 discs impregnated with hydrocyanic acid was removed quickly and suspended 
 in the bunker. The can was covered immediately with a fiber can provided 
 for the purpose, and the hatch was closed and secured in place. Then 
 the remaining string of discs was suspended in the other bunker at the 
 opposite end of the car. At the completion of the predetermined exposure, 
 the hatches were opened and the cages of beetles were removed from the car 
 and taken to the insectary at Moorestown for observation. The effectiveness 
 of the treatments in 31 empty refrigerator cars is summarized in table 4. 
 
 It is evident that there was considerable variation in the 
 effectiveness of the treatments in the different cars or applied at 
 different times in the same car. In some cases with the 6-ounce treatment 
 complete mortality was obtained at temperatures well below 75° F. or with 
 exposures of less than 2 hours, but the results appear to demonstrate that 
 practically complete destruction of the beetles can be expected consis- 
 tently with this treatment only when the average temperature is 75* or 
 above and the exposure is 2 hours. 
 
 The results obtained with the 6-ounce treatment for 3 hours were 
 no better than those with the 2-hour treatment. In fact, in the tests 
 of the 6-ounce treatment for 3 hours at 72 e and 73° F. the rates of 
 mortality were abnormally low. It appears that the refrigerator cars 
 are not sufficiently gastight to be used for prolonged exposures. 
 
 The data obtained with the 12 -ounce treatment were rather meager 
 but they seem to indicate that better results can be obtained with this 
 treatment than with the 6-ounce treatment. 
 
[■able 4. — Effectiveness of hydrocyanic acid against the adult 
 Japanese beetle in empty refrigerator cars 
 
 Ounces 
 
 Average 
 
 
 
 llumber of 
 
 
 of HCN Exposure 
 
 temperature 
 
 
 
 beetles 
 
 Percent 
 
 per car in hours 
 
 in °F. 
 
 Location of car 
 Moore st own, N.J, 
 
 in car 
 
 2,175 
 
 mortality 
 
 6 0.5 
 
 80.0 
 
 60.0 
 
 1 
 
 75.8 
 
 Moore stown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,209 
 
 83.2 
 
 
 77.8 
 
 Mo ore stown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,184 
 
 99.1 
 
 
 70.5 
 
 Moc re stown, 
 
 N.J. ■ 
 
 2,214 
 
 90.4 
 
 
 82 v 5 
 
 Moorestovm, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,112 
 
 99.1 
 
 
 88.5 
 
 Mdo re stown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,201 
 
 97.5 
 
 1.5 
 
 73.5 
 
 Moorestovm, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 79.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,097 
 
 96.1 
 
 
 81.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 : : .' T . 
 
 2,190 
 
 99.9 
 
 2 
 
 40.0 
 
 Wilmj : 
 
 . 
 
 200 
 
 81.0 
 
 
 52.0 
 
 , 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 89.0 
 
 
 52.0 
 
 ; ' gton, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 85.5 
 
 
 52.0 
 
 ' ngton, 
 
 . 
 
 200 
 
 93.5 
 
 
 52.0 
 
 , 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 53.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 54.0 
 
 Wilmi 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 55.0 
 
 Vfilmi ngton, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 60.0 
 
 
 55.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 72.0 
 
 
 55.0 
 
 , 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 56.0 
 
 'Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 99.0 
 
 
 57.0 
 
 Vfilmi ngton, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 99.0 
 
 
 57.0 
 
 Wilmi i 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 53.0 
 
 Lngton, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 66.5 
 
 
 53.0 
 
 Vfilmi ngton, 
 
 Del . 
 
 200 
 
 94.0 
 
 
 50.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 77.5 
 
 
 60.0 
 
 Vfilmi • 
 
 Del. 
 
 230 
 
 94.5 
 
 
 62.0 
 
 , 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 95.0 
 
 
 63.0 
 
 ngton, 
 
 . 
 
 200 
 
 82.0 
 
 
 66.0 
 
 ' ngton, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 . 
 
 
 67.0 
 
 1 .-.gton, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 70.0 
 
 ; ngton, 
 
 Del. 
 
 ' 
 
 97.0 
 
 
 70.0 
 
 . 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 . . 
 
 
 71.0 
 
 ■'.gton, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 . 
 
 
 71.0 
 
 Moorei 
 
 . . 
 
 2,: 
 
 . 
 
 STATE PLANT BOARD 
 
- 10 
 Table 4 - cont. 
 
 Ounces 
 
 
 Average 
 
 
 
 Number of 
 
 
 of HON 
 
 Exposure 
 
 temperature 
 
 
 
 beetles 
 
 Percent 
 
 per car 
 
 in hours 
 
 in °F. 
 
 Location o. 
 
 f car 
 
 in cs r 
 
 200 
 
 mortalit; 
 
 6 
 
 2 
 
 72.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 98.5 
 
 
 
 72.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 96.0 
 
 
 
 72.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 98 . 5 
 
 
 
 72.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 97.0 
 
 
 
 73.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 96.0 
 
 
 
 75.0 
 
 Wilmington, 
 
 Del. 
 
 200 
 
 98.5 
 
 
 
 74.5 
 
 Mo ores town, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 
 75.0 
 
 Moore s town, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 
 79.0 
 
 Moore s town, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 2,201 
 
 99.7 
 
 
 
 ' 79.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 
 82.0 
 
 Mo ores town, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 3 
 
 72.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 2,185 
 
 58.5 
 
 
 
 73.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 1,106 
 
 08.8 
 
 
 
 75.5 
 
 Moore stoxvn, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 
 79.5 ■ 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 
 84.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,199 
 
 98.3 
 
 12 
 
 1 
 
 74.0- 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 
 80.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,201 
 
 99.0 
 
 
 1.5 
 
 90.5 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 H.J. 
 
 • 2,005 
 
 99 . 9 
 
 
 2 
 
 83.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 
 
 87.0 
 
 Moorestown, 
 
 N.J. 
 
 2,200 
 
 100.0 
 
 * At Moorestown, N. J., cans containing 6 ounces of HON were opened 
 by the investigators and half of the charge was introduced into each 
 bunker. At Wilmington, Del., cans containing slightly more than G ounces 
 of HCN, to compensate for loss during handling, were used by inspectors 
 of the Division of Japanese Beetle Control. 
 
 All tests at Moorestown, N. J., were conducted in the same car. The 
 tests at Wilmington were conducted in. 30 different cars, only one treat- 
 ment being applied to a car. 
 
- 11 - 
 
 Effectiveness in Refrigerator Cars Loaded With Cold, ' et Bam 
 
 Osburn and Lipp 21 found that an application of even 1,5 pounds 
 of hydrocyanic acid in a refrigerator car loaded with dry green bananas 
 caused no injury to the fruit. Records show that o ir er 100 carloads of 
 bananas in this condition have been fumigated under commercial conditions, 
 6 ounces being- used per car, without causing damage to the fruit. The 
 situation was quite different with refrigerated fruit, which quickly 
 became covered With condensed atmospheric moisture during the process of 
 transferring it from the refrigerated rooms, on the ship to the cars. 
 Extensive injury was reported as resulting from the 6-ounce treatment 
 under these conditions. As the bananas normally occupy about one-third 
 of the load space in a car, and the nature and the packing of the fruit 
 are such that the diffusion of the gas was not a limiting factor, it 
 appeared that if the amount of hydrocyanic acid could be reduced to 5 
 ounces per car the injury to the fruit might be largely prevent 
 
 One hundred cages, each coi roximately 50 beetles, were 
 
 distributed among the fruit during the process of loading 20 cars with 
 wet, cold, green bananas at the pier in Hew York, N, ''. The temperature 
 of the air in the cars during the process of loading was about 82° F., but 
 when the doors were closed it dropped rapidly to about 62°. After the 
 doors were closed, 5 ounces of hydrocyanic acid were introduced into 
 .the ice bunkers of each car--2.5 ounces per bunker. The liquid w 
 measured and poured through a long tube into vaporizing pans suspended 
 in the bunkers. At the end of 2 hours the hatches of the cars were 
 opened. The cages of beetles were removed irxiediately from 10 of the 
 .cars, but the remainder of the c ... - jre not removed until 2 hours 
 later, after the cars had been transferred on floats from New York to 
 Yieehawken, Ni J. The beetles were then takon to Moorestown, N, J., for 
 observation. The mortality obtained in the different cars ic ~ed 
 in table 5, 
 
 4/ Loc, eit. 
 
- 12 - 
 
 Table 5. — Effectiveness of hydrocyanic acid against the adult Japanese 
 beetle in refrigerator cars loaded with wet, green bananas 
 at New York, N. Y. 
 
 Period after 
 Ounces Average fumigation when Number of 
 
 of HCN Exposure temperature beetles were beetles Percent 
 per car in hours in °F. removed -from car in car mortality 
 5 2 58 Immediately 
 
 58 
 
 60 
 
 SO 
 
 62 
 
 62 
 
 62 
 
 62 
 
 64 
 
 64 
 Average 61.2 Total v '2,503 Ave 
 
 59 Two hours after 250 52.3 
 
 256 
 
 46.5 
 
 248 
 
 55.6 
 
 251 
 
 68.1 
 
 248 
 
 72.2 
 
 249 
 
 74.7 
 
 256 
 
 80.5 
 
 247 
 
 34.6 
 
 256 
 
 35.5 
 
 246 
 
 85.8 
 
 251 
 
 83.4 
 
 60 
 62 
 
 opening 
 
 ventilai 
 
 the 
 ;ors 
 
 243 
 283 
 
 67.9 
 71.0 
 
 62 
 
 
 
 24-7 
 
 76.9 
 
 62 
 
 
 
 242 
 
 77.3 
 
 62 
 
 
 
 254 
 
 79.5 
 
 62 
 
 
 
 252 
 
 81.0 
 
 62 
 
 
 
 250 
 
 83.2 
 
 64 
 
 
 
 250 
 
 84.4 
 
 65 
 62.0 
 
 
 Total 
 
 252 93.7 
 
 2,526 Ave. 7G.7 
 
 Average 
 
 The mortality ranged from 46.5 to 93.7 percent. There was no 
 evidence that leaving the beetles for 2 hours in the cars after the 
 hatches were opened increased the effectiveness of the treatment. The 
 reports from the fruit company indicated that the damage with the 5- 
 ounce treatment was just as extensive as with the 6-ounce treatment. 
 
 It seemed to be impossible to kill all the beetles in cars of wet, 
 cold, green bananas without causing serious injury to the fruit. The 
 use of hydrocyanic acid under these conditions is unsatisfactory. 
 
- 13 - 
 
 Summary and Conclusions 
 
 In 1937 and 1933 an investigation was made of hydrocyanic acid 
 as a fumigant for the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica to 
 establish more definitely the relation between the mortality of the 
 insect and the concentration of the gas, the duration of the treatment, 
 the temperature, diffusion, and other factors, and to determine what 
 treatments should be applied to : rigerstor cars to assure the de- 
 struction of the insect. The ex re conducted with 184,500 
 insects in a 1,000-cubic-foc ■ 1 in standard refrigerator 
 cars at Moorestown, ".'... . mgton, Bel., o.nd New York, N. Y., with 
 various concentrations c£ gas and exposures up to 3 hours at temperatures 
 ranging from 45° to 100' 
 
 When les kage, absorption, an wer not important factors, 
 
 as in the fumigation chai bcr, the results indicate that complete de- 
 struction of the beetles can be e: ' with hydrocyanic acid at the rate 
 of 2 ounces to 1,000 cubic feet of : of 1 hour at 
 
 95°, 1.5 hours at 50 c , 2 hoars at 75°, and 3 hour . used 
 
 at the rate of 4 ounces to 1,000 cubic feet, - r of 0.5 h 
 would be r at 85°, ] ■ i 65°, l.j hours at £5°, and 2 hours 
 at 45° F, The S-ounce trej I ).! , 70 c , 1 hour 
 
 at 55° F, and 1.5 hours at ! \ 0-ounce tret ' r at 45° F. 
 
 The results indie- the introduction of 6 ouncus of hydro- 
 cyanic acid into an empty refrigerator car car. not be depended upon to 
 destroy all the beetles within a 2-hour period when the temperature is 
 less than 75° F. as it is impractical to prolong the treatment of these 
 cars for more than 2 hours under commercial conditions, the treatment 
 can be made effective at temperatures below 75 p F. only by inc. 
 the amount of the fumigant. It is suggested that at temperatures bet' 
 45° and 75° F, the hydrocyanic acid be used ir. empty refrigerator cars 
 at the rate of 12 ounces per car. 
 
 was not possible to kill all the beetles in refrigerator cars 
 loaded with w lut causing serious damage to the 
 
 f rui t . 
 
,.^ivERS ITY 0F FL0R|DA 
 
 3 1262 09224 7138