518 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 9 



During the progress of the codling moth investigations, it was 

 learned that the more successful growers have resorted to a combina- 

 tion of spraying and banding. The value of the latter has been gen- 

 erally conceded, but, at the same time, the majority of the fruit- 

 growers have declined to make use of the bands owing to the labor and 

 expense involved. This is due to the fact that the larvae must be 

 gathered about eight times each season, including the spring collection 

 of overwintering individuals. The number taken beneath the bands, 

 however, usually pays well for the trouble of collecting the insects. 

 In connection with some experimental work last season, over four 

 thousand larvae were secured from twenty banded trees in an orchard 

 which received six spray applications. These figures are not excep- 

 tional, but tend to emphasize the importance of banding until the 

 codling moth can be reduced so that a reasonable number of spray 

 treatments will hold it in check. 



With these facts in mind, the writer conceived the idea of capturing 

 the codling moth larvae, without extra labor on the part of the fruit- 

 grower, by means of a trap. The present paper is essentially a pre- 

 liminary report on this device. Since its conception and operation, 

 it was learned that a similar scheme had been proposed by C. W. 

 Woodworth and Geo. E. Colby .^ But whether or not a trap, such as 

 is herein described, has ever been employed by these authors is not 

 specifically mentioned in their publication. 



The principle of the trap is a simple one taking advantage of the 

 fact that the codling moth larva will enter an opening through which, 

 after its transformation, the adult cannot escape. 



The trap consists of a strip of twelve mesh wire screen cloth six 

 inches wide and sufficiently long to encircle the trunk of the tree. 

 Black painted wire cloth, owing to its dark color, is preferable. The 

 edges of the wire screen are crimped so as to afford an elastic cushion 

 helpful when attaching to the tree and also to prevent the screen from 

 tearing when being stretched into place. The tree should first be 

 banded in the usual way with burlap, or some other suitable material, 

 folded once or twice to a width of about two inches. The strip of 

 wire screen is next placed directly over the cloth band and is attached 

 to the tree at one end by a couple of tacks. By means of pliers, the 

 screen should be stretched tightly around the tree and at the same time 

 the crimped edges should be tapped with a hammer until form fitting. 

 Wherever the edges of the trap do not come in close contact with the 

 tree, as in the case of a groove, a tack should be used. If the loose 

 bark of the trunk has been removed, as is essential for the best results, 

 the matter of adjusting the trap is a simple one. 



The codling moth trap is shown in Plate 38, figure 1. A tree 

 having a groove was purposely used to show how the trap may be made 



-1 Bui. 126, Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta., 1899. 



