100 



each egg-mass approximately 150 voracious young caterpillars will emerge 

 in the following April. Much good can, therefore, be done by removing 

 these egg-masses from small and medium-sized trees, and burning them 

 before the first of April. This practice is profitable only on the more 

 valuable fruit and shade trees. Ten egg-masses destroyed during the 

 winter, rid a tree of from 1,500 to 2,500 caterpillars for the following spring. 

 Those left may be'more easily controlled. 



Jarring. — The Forest Tent Caterpillar usually drops to the ground 

 when the parts of the tree near it are jarred or shaken. By striking the 

 branches near the clusters of caterpillars with a long-handled, padded 

 mallet, the greater part of the caterpillars can be removed from small 

 trees and from those of medium size. The trunks must then be banded 

 with one of the adhesive mixtures described in the next paragraph, to 

 prevent the creatures ascending to their old feeding grounds. It has 

 been recommended to spread a large sheet beneath the trees before jarring, 

 and to gather and destroy the caterpillars which fall. 



Banding. — Uninfested trees frequently need to be protected from 

 wandering caterpillars which have fallen from their original food-trees, 

 or have been "jarred" therefrom, or are seeking new feeding grounds. 

 These caterpillars can be prevented from climbing trees by banding the 

 trunks, five or six feet up, w^ith cotton, or tree tanglefoot. A band of 

 cotton batting, eight inches wide, fastened about the trunk with a string 

 at the middle of the band, with the upper part of the cotton turned down 

 over the string, has been recommended as an effective obstacle to the 

 passage of the caterpillars. It is effective only when the cotton is dry. 



The most convenient band is made of some sticky substance such as 

 tree-tanglefoot or tar. Strips of thick wrapping paper, a foot or less 

 in width, are tied about the trunk, five or six feet above the ground, with 

 two strings and well smeared with "tree tanglefoot," or a mixture made 

 by boiling together equal parts of resin and castor oil. Axle grease, lard 

 and sulphur, cottolene, and "raupenleim" are also used. The sticky 

 substance must be renewed or extended as it dries or becomes covered 

 with the caterpillars. 



Destroying Tents and Clusters of Caterpillars. — The nests of 

 the American Tent Caterpillar may be removed while small, and the 

 contained caterpillars destroyed. This may be done with the aid of long- 

 handled tree-trimmers or with a brush, or the nests may be burned with 

 a torch while the caterpillars are within them. The torch may be made 

 of a mass of rags or cotton waste soaked in kerosene (coal oil) and tied 



