AT Property ol the United Slates Govern 5 Till 8RASSH0PPEH PROBLE1 VM» \l IVI.I \ ( l ill BE. By I'. M. \\ i B81 I i:. In chat ' eal and Forage-Plant Insect fnvestii/ations. 8F» n - 1:1 SFON8IBLE I OB Dl PR] D\ I IONS. \\ hile specimens of the species of grasshoppers actually engaged in devastating alfalfa Gelds have not always accompanied complaints of their ravages, ii is nevertheless possible, taking the data secured by Government and State officials in connection with informa- tion from correspondents, accompanied by specimens of the insect actually committing these depredations, to fix the responsibility largely at least upon two species. One of these is known as the differentia] grasshopper {Melanoplm differentialis Thos., fig. 1 i and tlif other as the two-striped grasshopper i M< lanoplus bivittatut Say fig. 2). Other species of grasshoppers have probably at times been more or less involve.!, as it is rarely that material Hil.miit.Ml with a complaint «>t damages does not include more than one species; on the other hand, species depredating on other crops on the same farm or ranch are often submitted under the supposition that they are like those seen at work in alfalfa. A notable case in point is that of the yellow- winged or pellucid grasshopper (t amnula pellucida Scudd.), which, while very destructive to grain and grass crops, is said to work but little injury to alfalfa. However, as all grasshoppers likely to be- come involved in this or similar depredation- have much the same habits and all are probably susceptible to the same treatment, the question of species is not one to interest the farmer particularly, be- yond the matter of bis ability to determine for himself which one is the worst pest and to apply his maaamas o£jjuppression more espe- cially with reference thereto. / --">-' i \ 84—07 m \ III JLAR • I nited States Department of Ai/riculimw BUKKAU OK ENTOMOLOGY, L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. THE MEA8UKE8 HEREIN DESCRIBED ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO CLOVER (HOI'S. While this circular is primarily for the benefit of the alfalfa grower, the measures of suppression recommended may be applied in the clover Holds of the eastern section of this country with equally good results. Indeed, the two species here discussed are at times destructively abundant in the red-clover fields of the Middle West, and the writer has there used the " hopperdozer " to advantage. EARLY DEPREDATIONS. With the rapid increase in the culture of alfalfa throughout the country west of the Mississippi River there has come the problem of protecting this crop from attacks of several species of grasshoppers or locusts. The reason for this state of affairs is not at all obscure as in order to breed freely and in destructive numbers these grass- hoppers require two conditions: First, an undisturbed soil for the protection of their eggs after these have been deposited, and, second, an early food supply for the young in spring. Xo other crop comes so near supplying these conditions to an ideal degree as does alfalfa. Thus it is that the farmer in this section of the country has from the beginning of alfalfa culture been sorely beset by these p< whose destructive hordes might even now be said to follow closely in the footprints of the reclamation engineer. SERIOUSNESS OF INJURIES. Hardly a season passes during which more or less serious outbreaks are not reported in different localities, and the aid of this Bureau i> frequently invoked in destroying these grasshoppers or otherwise lessening their ravages. Thus during the year 1905 1 such out- break was reported from California. 7 from Colorado. 1 from Idaho, 10 from Kansas. .3 from New Mexico, 2 from Utah, and 1 from Texas. It is in no wise likely that these numbers indicate more than a minor portion of the destructive outbreaks of these pests that actually occurred over this territory, and the seriousness of some of these outbreaks is indicated by the fact that as many as 12 complaints were received from a single locality. In fact, the probabilities are that, as this agricultural industry increases, the amount of injury in- flicted by these insects will greatly increase in future unless measures are taken to control them. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL ALFALFA-AFFECTING SPECIES. The differential grasshopper (fig. 1) is about 11 inches long, its wings expand about 21 inches, and it is of a general bright yellowish- green color. There is. however, a nearly black melanic form that does [CIp. 84] 8 ! is, i. Differentia] grasahopp i i —Two striped irrasBtai ■■ not -ccin to differ otherwise from the normal. The head and thorax ■Mi- olive-brown, and the fronl wings are of verj much the 3ame color, without other markings but with a ln'ow nish shade ;ii the base ; the hind w ihlt- are i inged w nh green : the hind thighs are bright yellow . especially liclow , w it li four black marks; the hind -hank- arc yellow, with black spines and a ring of the same color near t he base. The two-striped grasshopper i iii_ r . 2) varies in color from a dull green to a dull brown, with a distinct yellow -tripe extend- ing on each side from the upper part of the eye to the end of the wing. The male i- about 1 1 inches long and the female about one-fourth of an inch Longer. This grasshopper may be so ea-il\ recognized from the accompanying figure thai further description is unnecessary. .The young are very much like those of the Rocky Mountain grass- hopper or locust (Melanoplus spretus Thos.), shown in figure ; '>. DISTRIBl nOW OF I III: I Wo 8PE< II -. Although both these grasshoppers seem to be generally distributed over the country. the differentia] grasshopper rarely becomes destructively abundant easl of the Missis- sippi River. It is very decidedly so, and with great frequency, however, to the west of the Mississippi, while, though extending I :■■ aocl Mountain from Maine to California, the two-striped ■ newly r grasshopper i- sometimes disastrously abun- larvss; b.fau-grown dant, locally at least, as far east as Ohio. *• v "" r: " In the red-clover-growing sections of the country the two-striped species is probably very much the more destructive of the two, though even-as far easl as Indiana the differentia] grasshopper does considerable injury to fruit tree- by gnawing the hark from the twigs. I IIT. HISTORIES AND II U'.I I -. The eggs are deposited in the ground in masses, inclosed in moi less kidney-shaped pods, in late summer and fall, after the manner [Clr.84] shown in figure 1. which illustrates the oviposition of the Rocky Mountain grasshopper or locust. The females seem to prefer a mod- erately compact, rather damp but not wet soil which is rarely dis- turbed by the plow or other cultivating implement. It will thus he -ecu that the alfalfa fields throughout the irrigated sections consti- tute an ideal breeding ground. Winter i- passed in the egg state, the young hatching in spring and reaching maturity in summer, and there i- hut one annual generation. Neither of the two species is migratory. Their flight is rather clumsy, and they do not remain long on the wing before alighting. NATURAL KXKMIIs. Upward of 100 species of birds arc known to feed to a greater or less extent upon grasshoppers, but probably the most useful in this direction are quails, prai- rie thickens, the sparrow ha wk a nd S w a i n s o n hawk, the loggerhead shrike, all cuckoos, the cowbird, all blackbirds and meadowlarks, the catbird, and red-headed woodpecker. That do- me-tic fowls are espe- cially fond of these in- sects goes without saying. Skunk- are very fond of Fig. 4. — Rocky Mountain grasshopper or locust i Welanoplus gpretus): >t. .1, o, female in different positions, ovipositing; grasshoppers, and are es- 6, egg-pod extracted from ground, with the end broken open; c, a few eggs lying loose on the ground; - deposit minute, elongated, ivorj white eggs on the surface of the bodii the grasshoppers. The young maggots hatching from these make their way directlj into the body of their host, ;in<>n the living insect. When full grown the maggots go into the ground and within :i brown case transfori to Hies. While nil of these natural enemies do much to hold the pests in check, there are two or three vegetable parasites that also kill nil iu\ riads of them, the dead bodies of the gra ^shoppers dest royed thereby often being t onspicuous objects as they cling to the \\ eeds ami grass \\ here death overtook them 1 see lie.-. ( me of these fun- gous parasites i- the same as that attacking the chinch bug, and i- know n in science as s 1 nt 1 ii hum gloJyuli' n. A group of grasshoppers that ha\ e heen hilled l>\' thi- fun- Bib. b.—Sarcopha hoppers, Much enlarged (origin gus 1- shown in figure i . While it will be seen that there i> no lack of natural enemies of these grasshoppers, and while ;ill of them arc of benefit to the farmer, they do not and never will afford absolute protection from the rav- ages of these pests in the alfalfa Gelds. The reason for this is plain. By growing a single plant over large areas the farmer produces an unnatural condition and oiler- unnatural advantages for the devel- opment of the enemies of this plant, the grasshoppers. It is really the number of plants that invite- insect attack. So. also, it i- the great number of grasshoppers congregated together in masses that invites attack from natural enemies, ami it i- only when this condi- tion is present that these natural enemies become sufficiently abundant to offer the farmer prompt and effective relief. In other words, the natural enemies, however much restraining force they may present, are always too far behind to wholly prevent occasional outbreaks of [fir 6 these grasshoppers. The fanner, having undertaken the cultiva- tion of alfalfa in large areas under conditions preeminently favor- able for the development of grasshoppers, must now throw some re- straining element into the other side of the scales in order to preserve the balance. Tt thus comes about that artificial repressive measures must be put into play in order to counteract, as it were, the effect on Fig. 6. — A view of grasshoppers dead and dying from fungous disease. (From Howard.) Natural size. nature of a preponderance of alfalfa plants — a vastly greater number than would be produced under natural conditions. And this brings us to a consideration of preventive and repressive measures. PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES. Preventive measures, as here restricted, apply to a period antedat- ing the hatching of the young: while remedial measures are such as deal with the insects after hatching and with methods of destroying them. [Cir. 84] While many modes of procedure have been advocated, tending to ward ofl impending attacks, and perhaps even a greater number of devices constructed and mixtures compounded for the destruction of grasshoppers, we will here consider onlj such as are readily and cheaply obtainable l>\ the runner and ranchman and those mosl practical in application. DE8TBOYING I lit D Destroying the eggs of ilie grasshoppers seems to be the only preventive measure thai promises to be worth while attempting, except, perhaps, the destruction of the young as they are hatching. Fig. 7. Grasshoppers killed by tuni ' "»» globuUferum. (Aftei Destruction of the eggs may Ik- accomplished by either plow ing, har- rowing, disking, or cultivating, in the fall or winter, all roadsides, ditch banks, margins of cultivated fields, uncultivated fields, and grassy margins along fences. In short, all waste lands that it is pos- sible to reach in tin- manner should receive attention, unless it is known tliiit no eggs were deposited there. The soil need nol be stirred deeply. 2 inches being a sufficient depth to accomplish the desired effeel ; and circumstances will proba- bly dictate the kind of tool or tools that a fanner ought to Use and where to use them. There is no doubt whatever that if this measure were put into operation at the proper time, in whatever manner is most practicable, disastrous outbreaks the following spring would he fore-tailed and prevented. Except in cases of isolated farms or [Cir.s»i ranches, there should by all means be concerted action in this move- ment. Where fields can be quickly inundated and the water promptly run off, as is frequently done in rice fields, the young grasshoppers may he killed by flooding the Held for a day or two just as the eggs arc hatching. If close watch is kept to determine just when the young grasshoppers are hatching, and prompt action taken at this time, much good can be accomplished: hut as soon as the young begin to move about. Hooding will avail but little, as the grasshoppers will climb to the upper part of vegetation beyond the reach of the water. DESTROYING THE INSECTS. Under this head will be discussed those measures which should be resorted to when the grasshoppers, having hatched from the egg. are threatening alfalfa fields from within or without, or both. The hopperdozer. — On level or comparatively level land this im- plement can be used to good advantage in collecting grasshoppers of all ages — from the youngest to the adults. There arc many modifi- cations in the construction of these hopperdozers, hut the form here described and figured, the writer has had made for him. and he has employed it in the fields and knows from experience that its use is both practicable and efficient. It is constructed of sheet iron, pref- erably galvanized, of reasonable thickness to insure strength, and. except for the end pieces, made of a single -licet 10 or 12 feet long and 26 inches in width. The front i- formed by turning up one edge a couple of inches, and the back may be turned up a foot, thus making a shallow pan 1 foot wide, with the back the same height and with a front 2 inches high. Ends are riveted in and soldered, as shown in figure 8. Runners of old wagon tire are placed at each end (a, h) . and another in the center (e) is turned over in the front and back to strengthen the pan at these points. These runners are riveted to the pan, as shown, and should extend both backward and forward in order to overcome to some extent the inequalities of the ground and cause the hopperdozer to run more smoothly. By solder- ing it about the heads of the rivets the pan will be made water-tight The pan is filled with water on which is poured enough kerosene to cover it with a film, a horse is hitched to the end runners, and the out- fit is then ready for use. As the hopperdozer is drawn over the ground the locusts will either jump into the kerosene and water direct or against the back and drop into it and there be killed. By using longer, wider, and heavier sheet iron a larger and stronger pan can be made and this further strengthened by additional runner-: a horse can then be hitched to each end. or the pan may be mounted on low wheels. The whole thing is easily constructed, inexpensive, and once made may be put into service year after year as needed. The [Cir. s4] g »•. musl be applied there. \Yli;it has come t" be known as the " Criddle mixture" is giving mosl satisfactory results on the ranches of l»>th the United States and Canada. The mixture i composed of half ;i barrel of fresh horse droppings in which is mixed l pound each of sail and Paris green. If the horse droppings are nol fresh the sail is dissolved in water and mixed with the manure ;ind poison. When this mixture is scattered freely aboul where the grasshoppers are abundanl they seem to be attracted t<> it. for they devour il readily and air poisoned thereby. Dr. .lame- Fletcher, entomologist for the Dominion of Canada, cites an instance where Fi.;. B.- " Hopperdo«er." \ Blmple coal-oil pan, to be drawn by I rae (After tin- mixture had been scattered freely around the edges of a field and states thai this particular field stood out as a green patch in .1 brown plain, as it was situated in the midst of fields where nothing had been done to destroy the grasshoppers. This ('riddle mixture now seems preferable to the poisoned-bran remedy thai has given and -till continue- to give beneficial results, for it is less expensive than the latter and less likely to poison other animal life. ( OOPEB moN. Cooperation between farmer- or ranchmen is of the utmost im- portance, whether the hopperdozer or poisoned l>ait- l>e used. On some of the more extensive ranches the owner- can protect themselves by reason of the great extent of territory that i- under the control of a single individual, hut among -mallei' holdings cooperation ig very essential. (fir 10 FORESTALL! NG OUTBHEAKS" The ranchman would style this "watching out for trouble." By this is meant the careful watching of the fields for the appearance of the grasshoppers. When these are found to be present, do not wait to see what they are going to do, but prevent their doing any- thing by putting into practice, before any damage has been done and while the grasshoppers are very young, whatever measures are to be used. It usually requires several days to poison the grashoppers, and large areas can not be traversed with the hopperdozers in a day. Do not then wait to see what the grasshoppers will do. but see to it that by taking them at the start they are prevented from doing any harm. Approved : James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. Washington, D. C, February JO, 1907. [Cir. 84] o UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 09216 5157