TREE INSECTS AND THEIR CONTROL 195 



cautions are taken to protect the operator's face and 

 hands. The use of the brush obviates the injury to paint 

 on nearby buildings that might be caused by spraying. 



Tree Bands. The use of tree bands as barriers 

 or traps for insects has occasional value, but they are not as 

 effectual as many people seem to believe. The usefulness 

 of bands is confined to protection against those insects 

 which crawl along the trunk. Against the winged insects 

 they have no value whatever. To be useful at all the bands 

 must be closely watched and kept from clogging, drying 

 out or becoming bridged. They are likely to be injurious 

 to the trees. 



A type of banding which proves effective is made of 

 cotton batting, 6 to 8 inches wide, wrapped around the 

 tree with the ends overlapping, and tied securely and 

 snugly by means of a string around its lower edge, with the 

 upper part turned down over the string to form a flange of 

 loose cotton. This stops the insects as they crawl upward. 

 The cotton must be kept in fluffy condition. 



The wingless moths, such as those of the cankerworm, 

 and the tussock moth, may be trapped by 12 mesh fly- 

 screen. A strip of the wire screen 12 inches wide should 

 be cut with a top length slightly greater than needed to fit 

 around the tree and a bottom length 6 inches greater. The 

 top edge should be snugly fitted around the tree and 

 fastened with carpet tacks, leaving the lower part standing 

 out in a way suggesting an inverted funnel. The spread- 

 ing lower edge admits crawling insects, and these should 

 be gathered and crushed daily, to prevent the laying of 

 any eggs. 



Sticky bands are useful against the ascent of cater- 

 pillars and wingless moths. The sticky material may be 

 bought ready for use. In preparing to apply it, the tree 

 should first be encircled with a 2 inch strip of cotton, 



