51 



The Destruction of Egg-masses. —While the trees are bare 

 of leaves the egg-masses may be very easily distinguished on the twigs 

 From 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 burn- 

 ing them, before the first of April. This practice is profitable only on the 

 more valuable fruit and shade trees, and needs to be supplemented by 

 poison sprays in the spring. 



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. 



Small tent of Orchard Tent-Caterpillar. 



Banding. — Uninfested trees frequently need to be protected from 

 wandering caterpillars w^hich 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. 



