1910.] Grease-banding of Fruit Trees. 



547 



and crevices of a pole to which the tree was staked had 

 hundreds of the ova upon it. The laying of ova upon the 

 trunks of trees is much more common than is supposed. 



These are important points to remember, for if we band 

 high, which seems to be correct, we find many eggs may be 

 laid below the bands, while on a staked tree, the eggs 

 may be laid on the stakes and twine. Consequently, 

 unless the bands are sticky all through March and April, 

 the hatched-out larvae would crawl over the dry bands and 

 so reach the opening buds. That they try to do so was 

 seen in Mr. Crane's orchard, and a similar case was noticed 

 near Wye in 1909. 



Many failures in grease-banding are due to the bands 

 having been allowed to dry up in December or January. It 

 is necessary to keep the banding "tacky" well over March, 

 for Winter Moth alone, if we wish for success. The ova of 

 the Mottled Umber Moth have also been seen on the trunks,, 

 laid singly, but many together. Those of the March Moth 

 are always laid in bands around the twigs. 



Eggs laid on the Grease-bands. — Large numbers of the 

 green ova * are often seen in the grease on the bands. They 

 have either been laid by the females whilst struggling in the 

 grease, or may appear when their dead bodies have decayed. 

 Several growers have written asking if these eggs would 

 hatch out. Careful observations were made both upon the 

 eggs on the bands in the open, and others taken off and kept 

 indoors. In no case did any ova which had become coated 

 with the grease hatch out. 



Winter Moth Larvce caught by Banding. — As seen in the 

 two tables printed above of the insects caught in grease- 

 bands during two seasons, numerous Winter Moth larvae 

 were caught in the summer. In all instances noted this was 

 after heavy rain or wind, and the larvae doubtless got knocked 

 or shaken off, and in reascending the trunks w 7 ere caught in 

 the bands. In every case the larvae were found on the low r er 

 part of the bands, very few had got near the top, and as far 

 as could be seen none crossed any of the various greases 

 experimented with when put on thickly. 



In these cases the banding was put on experimentally in 



* Winter Moth eggs are green when fresh, but become dull red later. 



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