CATTLE TICK AND GRASS GRUB

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1931, Page 2

CATTLE TICK AND GRASS GRUB

PARASITES COMING. ENTOMOLOGIST EXCURSION" ABROAD. XE-CSON, June 25. Details of research which may lead to the control of the cattle tick and grass grub in New Zealand were given by Dr David Miller, chief entomologist to the Cawthron^lnstitute, in h:s presidential address before the Nelson Philosophical Society. During his recent tour of Europe and America he gained first hand knowledge of what other countries were doing -in this direction.

Dr Miller explained that his visit was made for the purpose ol organising co-operation between the different overseas entomological research stations in relation to New Zealand problems. The work had been carried out on behalf of the Empire Marketing Board, the New Zealand Government, the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board and the Cawthron Institute. He had been particularly interested in questions affecting the control, of weeds and of insects destructive to orchards, farm crops and forest trees. His -investigations had been made in North and Smith America, 'Great Britain and Europe.

DEADLY DISEASE- CARRIER. The cattle tick and grass grub j two New Zealand pests for which they were keen to. find parasites. He had visited the Bitter Boot Valley jn the •State of Montana, U.S.A., j and bad found that good results with the parasite for cattle tick had been secured. This paras'te, he said, would be oi immense value in controlling the tick in this country when the aidhoviGes were ready to introduce it. In Montana the tick was a very deadly cneiip. as the carrier of the Pocky Mmintmu spotted fever and it had been lor lh' discovery of a paras’te to exterminate this p’-’st that the Unitrd States National Board of Health had set up a laboratory. In this valley 95 per cent, of the human beings affected by this fever died, but a prophylactic vaccine had been made available, which, if injected, gave immunity for at least a year, but the trouble was to induce all the inhabitants to undergo vaccina-t-’on periodically. Fortunately for New Zealand, added Dr Miller, the tick itself was our main concern, for we had none of the diseases carried by it in other countries, 'the tick was found in New Zealand mainly in the North Auckland district.

PARASITES FOR GRASS GRUB. At Moorestown, near Philadelphia, Dr Miller made a detailed study of the -work done in the direction of controlling the Japanese beetle, an insect closely related to our grass grub which all farmers knew as a destroyer. He had arranged, that a supply of , parasites should be sent to the institute so that a parasite war against the grub could be instituted. Dr Miller also took every opportunity to see what other countries were doing in the control oi codlln moth, earwig, red mite, mealy bugs and forest tree pests. On these problems, he said, he had gleaned much important information in Europe as well as -in America.

The lecture was illustrated by lantern slides from photographs taken by Dr Miller during Ids tour.