420 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



poisoning from the mercuric salt. This material is, however, extremely 

 injurious to the bark of trees wherever it comes into contact with it, 

 and would also be too expensive to use on a large scale. Furthermore, 

 the effectiveness of ihis band seemed in large part due to its greater 

 softness resulting from the addition of the powder. 



The softness of the mercuric tree-sticky band w^as equally well main- 

 tained by substituting for the mercuric salt flowers of sulphur in the 

 following proportion : 



Finely pulverized flowers of sulphur 1 part by weight. 



Commercial tree-sticky 6 parts by weight. 



When the sulphur is finely powdered and all lumps broken, the two 

 ingredients should be thoroughly mixed together, without heat, with a 

 wooden paddle. This mixture is recommended as one which will remain 

 effective in rainy, foggy or exceptionally dry weather and at all 

 temperatures in which the ants will work for periods of from three to 

 five months. The mixture appears to have a slightly repellent effect 

 upon the ants in addition to its more lasting viscosity. It must not be 

 applied directly to the bark of trees as it will be absorbed to some extent 

 and may in time injure the trees. The trunk should first be wound with 

 tire or hose-mending tape, or with paraffined or other moisture-proof 

 cloth to which the banding material should then be applied. The bands 

 should be from four to six inches wide and nearly one-fourth inch thick. 

 If properly applied no attention will need to be paid to these bands for 

 several months. 



Another fairly satisfactory mixture developed in the course of these 

 experiments is composed of one part by weight of ordinary black axle 

 grease added to two or three parts of commercial tree-sticky thoroughly 

 rubbed together with a wooden paddle until a uniform mixture results. 

 Tree bands of this material applied in the same manner as recommended 

 for the sulphur bands have excluded ants under conditions as trying as 

 will usually be encountered, without renewing or respreading, for about 

 two months. The material should not be allowed to come into direct 

 contact with the bark for long periods of time. 



The dry type of ant band is usually made by soaking strips of cotton 

 cloth in a saturated water solution of corrosive sublimate. These strips 

 are allowed to dry and then rolled into balls, constituting the "ant tape" 

 of commerce. The repellent liquids used for banding purposes are 

 usually water or alcoholic solutions of corrosive sublimate, to be applied 

 around table legs, etc., with a paint brush. These bands are useless out 

 of doors because they can not withstand moisture. They are more or less 

 dangerous to use in the house because after application the extremely 

 poisonous crystals of corrosive sublimate are more or less exposed to 

 children and domestic pets. 



In the formula here given a method has been devised of binding up 

 the corrosive sublimate so that it is impervious to rain and can be used 

 in the household without running the risk of causing poisoning. The 

 formula is as follows : 



Corrosive sublimate 20 gm. 



Ethyl alcohol 60 cc. 



Orange (or white) shellac 31 gm. 



