BANDING THE TREES 141 



These caterpillars are also open to destruction through 

 spraying with arsenate of lead or other forms of arsenical 

 poisons. 



BANDING THE TREES IS USELESS FOR THESE CATERPILLARS 



In one city in this state where the Spiny Elm Caterpillars 

 were rather abundant last season, many owners of shade trees 

 applied bands of various sorts to the trunks of the trees to 

 prevent the injury. Presumably this was done on the theory 

 that as bands are successfully employed against canker worms, 

 they are equally good against other caterpillars. In the case 

 of canker worms, however, the female moth which lays the 

 eggs is wingless, so that the bands prevent her from ascending 

 the trees. But with the Spiny Elm Caterpillar the parent 

 insect that lays the eggs is a butterfly w^hich can easily fly to 

 the tops of the tallest trees. The eggs are deposited on the 

 twigs by these butterflies, and the caterpillars remain in the 

 close neighborhood of the place where they hatch imtil they 

 are full grown. Consequently, any banding of the tree is a 

 waste of enerffv so far as this insect is concerned. 



