32 
BULLETIN 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 with 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 normal sirup 
mixed with crystallized sirup quickly hardens. Where bags are used 
they can be discard- 
ed for new ones. 
Crystallized sirup 
can be easily re- 
moved from cans by 
heating to boiling. 
(Fig. 16.) The cans 
should be reparaf- 
fined. 
NUMBER OP 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. 
