6A {\yei). E.$" e, I . no. tDfJ, 1,., . I GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF ENTOMOLOGY JUN~, 1925 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST l" FOR 1924 ATLANTA, GEORGIA Baptist Orphanage Print ShoP-Hapeville, Ga. GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF ENTOMOLOGY Org-anization RON. J. J. BROWN, Chairman, Atlanta RON. R. C. BERCKMANS Macon RON T. G. HUDSON Americus Staft' IRA W. WILLIAMS, Atlanta State Entomologist W. W. CHASE, Corn~lia Entom~logist " _ E . F. GROSSMAN, Thomasville Entomologist HALIARD de La PARELbE, atlanta ' / Entomologist GEO. C. DECKER, Albany Entomologist ~ ~ 0. C. BOYD, Thomasville Plaiit Pathologist JEFF CHAFFIN, Atlanta Chief Inspector B. M. GADDIS, Valdosta Research J. M. MOLLOY, Macon Field Agent ROY ROGERS, Baxley Inspector S. V. BROWN, Baxtey Inspector V. C. DURHAM, Savannah Inspector J. C. MANESS, Atlanta Field Agent C. H. GADDIS, Albany Research W. H. LEONARD, Thomasville Supt. Station M. S. YEOMANS, Atlanta Inspector W. L. NEESE, Atlanta Sec.-Treas . 2 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST FOR 1924 To the Honorable Members of the Georgia State Board of l!.:ntomology and the General Assembly: REPORT OF THE GEOHGIA STATE BOARD OF ENTOMOLOGY SUM~ARY O:fi' INSPECTION AND OFFICE WORK, 1924 Pounds of calcium arsenate distributed to thou- sands of Georgia cotton growers__________________---- 3,500,000 Circulars and bulietins d-istributed and mailed out on request ----------------- 88,400 Letters written on official work ------- 12,520 Parcels of nursery stock and plants inspected at terminal inspection stations ----------- 25,441 Parcels treated and passed --------- 2,192 Parcels destroyed or returned to shipper -- 269 Field inspection of sweet potatoes...-------- 1,965 Storage inspections of sweet potatoes.............................. 1,853 Plant bed inspections of sweet potatoes ----- 832 Nurseries and- greenhouses inspected -------- 221 Colonies of bees inspected ---------------- 9,850 Colonies found infected with foulbrood and destroyed --------------- 15 Inspection tags issued for nursery stock, apiaries and sweet potato plants ---------- 6,420,000 Duplicate certificates furnished- to be filed with other states ---------------- Samples of insects and diseases received for 5,842 identification -------------Feet of moving picture film on insect pest and 1,642 pla nt disease control made and now being dis- tributed in theatres and rural d-istricts through- out the ~tate -------------------Orchards, g:-> rdens and fields examined and advice 2,300 given in the control of insects and diseases............ 1,360 Lectures and- addresses on insect and plant disease control ---------- 138 3 PUBLICATIONS OF THE STATE BOARD OF ENTOMOLOGY, 1924 Annual Report of the State Entomologist, (Bulletin 65). Crop Pest aBd -~ursery Laws of Georgia and Regulations of State Boar~ of Entomology (Bulletin 66). Sweet Potato Seed Improvement and Disease Control, (Bulletin 67). Spraying and Dusting Watermelons for Anthracnose control. The Use of Oil Emulsion Insecticides. Mexican Bean Beetle in Georgia. Eight circular letters on boll weevil control and the use of calcium arsenate. A two-reel educational moving picture entitled "War on Plant Parasites," displaying the major crop pests and showing the methods of control. REPORT OF FIELD WORK The work of the Georgia State Board of Entomology has been efficiently prosecuted during the past year along the same general lines as in the past. However, the organization found it necessary to undertake a number of new projects. The work in each instance has been undertaken with one end in view; Namely: the endeavor to prevent the introduction and dissemination; to control and eradicate injurious insect pests and diseases. ORIENTAL FRUIT MOTH During the year a very injurious insect of the peach, apple, pear, etc., known as the Oriental fruit moth, was disC0vered in the state. It was evidently introduced through the shipment of late apples from Virginia or New Jersey. Fortunately, it was di5covered before it made its appearance in any of the commercial orchard of the state. Realiz- 4 ing the seriousness .of the pest and the danger that threatened the peach industry; the Georgia State Board of Entomology immediat ely began eradicative measures. The Department was unable to secure sufccient funds to eradicate the insect, so all available funds and energy were expended toward the eradication in the Fort Valley and Macon vicinities. All t r ees that are host plants of the insect were pulled up and destroyed in this vicinity. The pest was eradicated or brought under control to such an extent, in this locality or peach area, until its spr ead has been retarded. This will allow time f or the working out of some control measures. The insect wiJ undoubtedly spread over the entire state wit hin the next year or so. At the present time the Georgia State Board of Entomology is conducting extensive experiments in its control. Every known insecticide likely to control the Oriental fruit moth is being tested out this year with the hope of finding some practical method of control. Very favorable results are being obtained from some of the experiments. THE PECAN NUT CASE BEARER The pecan industry in Georgia has grown rapidly until at the present it is one of the chief crops of the southern counties. As is often the case, the concentrated planting of pecans favored the increase in number and abundance of insect pests attacking the crop. There are about 90 species of insects known to attack the pecan, many of these are at present very destructive in certain sections of the state and the others form a potential menace as they may at any time increase to destructive proportions. The growers of Georgia suffer an annual loss of many thousands of dollars due to the ravages of insect pests and as young plantings come into bearing and present pests increase their range of destruction, the annual loss is bound to run into millions of dollars. 5 The pecan nut case be2.rer , which has beGn present in South Georgia for several years, h as reached Stich proporticns in destructiveness untir the last t wo pecan crops have been practically dest r oy ed through the ravages of this pest. All common or popular insecticides have proven of little value in its control. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of nuts are being d~stro yed in Georgia each year by this pest. To protect this g:reat industry and prevent if possible the great calamity which would eventually destroy it, the Georgia State Board of Entomology has established at Albany, Georgia, an experiment station for the study of pecan insects, diseases and cultural problems. At present the work at this station is consider ably h andicapped by the lack of funds, but we are working steadily and look forward to some very inter esting and helpful results. An experienced entomologist has been placed in charge of the work, all promising insecticides and means of control are being tested out. Special attention is being devoted to the study of rearing of parasites of the nut case bearer. The biological control measures now under way cover a large field including study if climatic conditions, host resistance, rearing and distribution of beneficial parasites, and many other f actors. Experiments are also being conducted in the control of the pecan nut weevil by soil f umigation. Some valuable data has already been obtained and it is hoped that in a short time the pecan growers can be given relief from this destructive pest. THE COTTON FLEA A very small but destructive insect known as the Cotton Flea, made its appearance in the vicinity of Americus in 1924. Several hundred acres of cotton was destroyed as a result. This small bug punctures the young squares and they drop before blooming, causing a total crop failure. In 6 ucldng th8 juices from the pbnt the insect transmits a :poison which causes the cotton plant to dwarf or put on an abnormal growth making a str~ight stalk without limbs or fruit. This is a new insect and ver y little is known about it. ,.Ihe first r eport of its attacking cotton came from Texas about two years ago. There is evidently some other host :pbnt on which it feeds and passes the winter months. The Board of Entomology conducted a few experiments in defo liating and other control methods for this pest last year, but lack of funds, prohibited the continuance of these exp eriments. , Scientific experiments in the control of this insect should be conducted so that a means of control will be available before the pest covers the entire state and :probably causes millions of dollars damage. QUARANTINE DEPARTMENT The work of inspecting nursery stock, plants and other :products likely to intro.duce injurious insect pests and diseases into Georgia is handled by the Quarantine Department. Competent Inspectors are stationed at Atlanta, Albany, Macon and Savannah, for the purpose of inspecting all plants and nursery stock entering the state by boat, r ail, or parcel post. Each package is opened and thoroughly inspected and in many cases all soil removed from the roots. In this way the quarantines and embargoes relative to the Pink Bollworm of cotton, Japanese beetle, fruit flies and other injurious insect pests and diseases are rigidly enforced. With several thousand shipments being inspected each year, ten percent of which are infested with some injurious nisect or disease, it is obvious that the Quarantine Department is the first line of defense and ranked as the most important branch of the Department. There is seldom a month passes but what some insect or disease not yet present in Georgia is intercepted. We might mention the fact that on two separate occasions the Pink Bollworm of cotton, 7 which is reputed to be much more InJUrious than the boll weevil has been intercepted in parcel post shipments of seed cotton intercepted in Atlanta. With the- Pink Bollworm, J apanese beetle, f oreign fruit flies, and many other insects that would cause millions of dollars damage if introduced into Georgia, threatening us daily, it is highly important that the Quarantine Department, operate with an air-tight efficiency. From year to year pests that threat en our agricultural industries become more numerous and devastating. Any day one of the Inspectors at a Quarantine station may intercept an insect that would cause many thouS