246 Proceedings of Indiana Academy of Science. 
of aphids, on a peach tree, that must have obtained a foothold by flying. 
This colony was destroyed by means of nicotine spray, and I had no 
further trouble with that tree. 
At intervals during the summer the sticky band had to be freshened. 
I used a band about two inches wide and from one-eighth to one-fourth 
inch thick. None of my trees seem to have been injured in the least 
at the end of a year and one-half. The experience of 1917 was repeated 
with practically the same results in 1918. 
It may be wondered why, if the aphids can fly, they did not get on 
the trees above the sticky bands. In reading Farmers’ Bulletin No. 362, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, on “The Common Mealy Bug and Its 
Control in California,’ I ran across a good explanation. Ants were 
found to carry and protect the mealy bugs in the same way they do the 
aphids. Woglum and Nuels in this bulletin say: ‘Remarkable results 
have been secured by keeping the Argentine ant off of trees infested 
with mealy bugs by banding with a sticky mixture. In 1915 and 1916, 
trees that when first freed from ants were infested severely with the 
mealy bug became commercially clean without exception within a period 
of six weeks to three months.” It seems that the ant not only carried 
but protected the mealy bug from its natural enemies, the brown lace- 
wings and a ladybird beetle. 
It seems logical to suppose that the same relation would exist between 
the aphids, the ants and the enemies of the aphids, such as the ladybugs. 
Although the mealy bug does not fiy, as does the aphid, the fact remains 
that the aphid, like the mealy bug, seems to depend upon the ant for 
protection and cannot long survive the attacks of its enemies when this 
protection is withdrawn. 
One entomologist told me, “You keep the aphids off your trees and 
the ants will not bother you.” But I say, “Keep the ants off and you 
will not be bothered with aphids.” It is much easier to work from the 
ant end of the game than it is from the aphid end. 
