CONTEOL OF ARGEoSTTINE ANT IX CALIFOKXIA. 



17 



large trees supjport aerial colonies during the warm season and not 

 infrequently colonies have been noted in midwinter. 



Several methods of freeing banded trees were tried. The first 

 method was to spray the trunk and main branches with such insect- 

 icides as carbolic-acid emulsion or distillate emulsion -immediately 

 after banding, the application being made with a compressed-air 

 pump holding 3 gallons. This proved too slow and ineffective, as 

 ants are actively engaged thi'oughout the tree during the day. It 

 was soon observed that the eurly morning was the proper time to 



Fig. 7.— Plumber's torch for applying certain sprays to rid a banded 

 tree of ants. 



destroy the ants above the bands, for they are sluggish at the cool 

 temperatures and have the habit of congi'egating in crotches or in 

 their aerial nests. The compressed-air pump was soon discarded 

 in favor of a plumber's hand torcli (fig. 7) , in wliich gasoHne or a weak 

 cyanid solution was used as a spray. This in turn gave way to the 

 use of pyre thrum or other ant powders which proved simple of appli- 

 cation, economical, and immediately effective. Nests in tree crotches 

 or elsewhere could be quickly freed by a single application, and for 

 this purpose either a small bellows or shaker (fig. 6) proved satis- 

 factory. « 



48155°— 21— Bull. 9G5 ^ 



