1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT- -No. 73. 151 



the season. The general use of the burlap on street trees cannot 

 be too highly commended, in preference to the sticky bands. 

 The results of our fall inspection show repeatedly that where 

 street trees were banded with sticky material, gypsy moth nests 

 may often be found scattered over all parts of the tree. On 

 the other hand, where the burlap was applied and thoroughly 

 attended, but few nests high up in the trees, and in fact but few 

 nests anywhere, may be found. Speaking in this connection, 

 Mr. C. W. Ross, the local superintendent at Newton, who was 

 induced to try the burlap on a limited number of trees as an 

 experiment last season, states that not over one-fifth the time 

 is required to clear the burlapped trees of gypsy moth nests 

 that is required where no burlap is used. 



In the case of the average property owner, it may be said 

 that, if he will give the burlaps thorough and daily attention, 

 their use is preferable to that of the sticky bands. On the other 

 hand, if he is disposed to neglect summer work against the 

 caterpillars, the use of such bands is preferable. It often hap- 

 pens that a combination of sticky band and burlap is advisable, 

 particularly in places where clean ground work has not been 

 done, or where there is danger of the caterpillars swarming 

 from adjoining woodlands. Where the combination band is 

 used, the burlap should be placed above, to afford shelter to the 

 descending caterpillars, while the sticky material beneath will 

 prevent additional insects from ascending the tree. 



TRAPPING BROWN-TAIL MOTHS AT LIGHT. 

 Because of the very large number of brown-tail moths seen 

 fluttering around electric and other lights at night during the 

 flying season in the middle of July, it has been thought by 

 many that by the use of a suitable lantern trap large numbers 

 of the insects could be easily destroyed at a trifling expense. 

 That the lamps were an important factor in destroying the 

 moths was also the view taken by the writer (based, it must be 

 admitted, upon general observation rather than specific data) 

 at the time he made a study of the insect in 1897, the results 

 of which were published in the special report on the brown-tail 

 moth in 1903. The great abundance of the moths around tin- 

 lamps led to certain interesting experiments during the p:isf 



