53 



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

 tree tanglefoot or tar. Strips of thick wrapping paper, a foot or more in 

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

 two strings and well smeared with "tree tanglefoot," tar mixed with 

 two parts of raw oil, 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 siibstance must be renewed or ex- 

 tended as it dries or becomes covered with the caterpillars. 



- ^M M ' 



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 burn- 

 ed 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 )iand tied on a long pole. Asbestos fibre soaked in kerosene and placed 

 in a tin can nailed to' the end of a pole makes an excellent torch. The 

 flame should be passedi below the nest so as to destroy it and the con- 

 tained caterpillars, care being taken not to injure the bark of the 

 branches, a rather diifficult operation. The nests should, of course, be des- 

 tro3^ed while the caterpillars are within them. The clusters of the Forest 

 Tent Caterpillar may, be removed when they are massed on the lower 

 branches or trunks of the trees by means of a torch or by brushing 

 them off with a stiff wire brush, or they may be killed by a strong 

 spnray of kerosene emulsion applied directly to the caterpillars. 



Gathering Cocoons.— After the caterpillar stage is past and the 

 cocoons are spun tihe latter may be gathered and thus the escape of the 

 moths which emerge will be prevented. The collected cocoons should be 

 placed in a box covered with a coarse wire netting, about three six- 

 teenths of an inch mesh. This will allow the useful parasites to escape, 

 but retain the moths which may be destroyed later. 



Spraying. — When spraying apparatus is available the simplest and 

 most convenient method is the application of Paris green in the propor- 

 tion of one pound to i6o gallons ofwater, or lead arsenate, two pounds 

 to 40 gallons of water, to the infested trees or parts of trees, after the 

 leaves have appeared. Orchards which receive the regular poison sprays 

 for the codling moth and the plum curculio rarely suffer from Tent cat- 

 erpillars. The young caterpillars are killed by the poison before they are 

 able to do much damage. After they are more tlian half-grown it is 

 much more diifficult to kill them by arsenical preparations; and they 

 should, therefore, always be attended* to early in the season. When it is 

 necessary to spray specially for these pests, it is usually sufficient to ap- 

 ply the mixture to the foliage on the particular branches which are at- 

 tacked. Lead arsenate is perhaps to be preferred on account of its adher- 

 ing qualities. The.se poisons kill only when swallowed by the caterpillar; 

 it is therefore useless to spray before the buds open. 



