Bulletin 151, Truck and Garden Insects


will wild birds be endangered. Ordinarily there will be no
danger to chickens or other fowls eating the dead grasshoppers
as the fowls will not get enough arsenic in this way to harm them.
 MOLE-CRICKETS
 These are flat like other crickets. Their front legs are
greatly enlarged and fitted for burrowing (fig. 56). They live
 deep in the ground during the daytime,
 coming out at night to feed. They are
 very destructive to vegetation, particularly
 in gardens and seed beds. They make,
 Just beneath the surface of the ground,
 runways resembling those of moles but
 very much smaller.
 There are at least two native species
 of mole-crickets that are somewhat de-
 structive in truck patches, especially in
 low ground where there is considerable
 vegetable mold. In addition, the West


 Indian mole-crick-
 et or change"
 (fig. 57) is becom-
 ing very trouble-
 some in some sec-
 FIG. 56.-Native mole- tions of the State.
 cricket. Natural size. Contrl.-Sul-
 (Original.) Control.-Sul-
 phur placed in the
seed drill is said to act as a deterrent.
Mole crickets may be kept out of seed
beds by a gauze floor. At the time the
seed bed is made, dig out the earth to
the depth of a foot or so and place in
the bottom a layer of galvanized or cop-
per wire mosquito netting. It should
come up at the sides and project a couple
of inches above the ground.
 Plants set out in the field may be


FIG. 57.--"C h a n g a" or
 West Indian mole-
 cricket. Natural size.
 (Porto Rico Exp. Sta.)


protected by banding them. For this purpose, melt off the tops
and bottoms of tin cans and place the cylinder over each plant,
sinking it into the earth to some depth. Instead of the tin
cans, tarred paper may be used.
 Mole-crickets may be poisoned by a mixture of cottonseed
meal, paris green and syrup. Mix thoroly a pound of paris


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