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BULLETTISr 965, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



becoming entangled in the sirup, and at the same time increase the 

 feeding area. When folded into a compact mass excelsior is un- 

 satisfactory and tends to obstruct the free passage of ants, and 

 furthermore absorbs much of the sirup unless the can is well filled. 

 Excelsior has entirely displaced sponges in California. 



After the spice tins or bags are filled, the 

 tops are put on or the upper part of the bag 

 folded, and they are then ready for attachment 

 to the tree. (Fig. 11.) The bags are tacked 

 as shown in figure 10. The cans are hung on 

 a small finishing nail which is first driven into 

 the tree. The containers should be on either 

 the trunk or main branches on the shady side 

 of the tree. 



Fig. 15. — A spice tin witli front 

 removed to show amount and 

 arrangement of excelsior. 



REFILLING. 



The writers have practiced and advocate 

 monthly inspections. A tray of filled containers 

 should be carried along and where an empty, missing, or crystallized 

 container is found it can be replaced. If crystallization is general 

 all containers should be removed. Fresh sirup should never be 

 poured onto that crystallized, as it has been found that normalsirup 

 mixed with crystallized sirup quickly hardens. Where bags am used 

 they can be discard- 

 ed for Aew ones. 

 Crystallized sirup 

 can be easily re- 

 moved from cans by 

 heating to boiling. 

 (Fig. 16.) The cans 

 should be reparaf- 

 fined. 



NUMBER OF CONTAINERS. 



A container should 

 be attached to each 

 tree in orchards over 

 run with ants. The 

 ants colonize around 

 the base of the trees 

 where the food sup- 

 ply is plentiful, and in clean-cultivated orchards, such as are com- 

 mon in California, and are seldom found between the rows of trees. 

 When food becomes scarce, movement from one tree to another 

 is more common. One striking case of the restricted movement 



Fig. 16. — Cleaning crystallized sirup from container. Cansare arranged 

 in trays and boiled in water, after which the contents are quickly 

 removed by inverting the trays. 



