Fruit tree bandsare a good way to reduce the occurrence of pests whose larvae travel down the trunk for overwintering or up towards the crown of the tree. In gardens, you can usecorrugated cardboard bandsandsticky bandsWe put them not only on fruit trees but also on some ornamental species. Seehow and when to put bands on trunksand what pests we can fight in this way.
Mounting the band on a fruit tree against pests
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Types of bands used on trees
In amateur cultivation of fruit trees, two types of bands are put on trunks. They are:
- corrugated cardboard bands(cardboard)
- adhesive bands(foil tape coated with adhesive)
Corrugated cardboard bandshave the advantage that we don't even have to go to the garden shop to buy them. You can use old, unnecessary cardboard boxes, e.g. for household appliances, or buy corrugated cardboard in rolls. Additionally, we will need a string to tie the band to the tree trunk. Insects looking for hiding places in unevenness and cracks in the bark of trees choose a more comfortable shelter in corrugations of cardboard. When the bands are filled with caterpillars and insect larvae, they are removed from the trees and destroyed (preferably burned). Before destroying it, it is worth checking if there are any useful insect larvae in the cardboard that would be worth saving.
Bands for fruit trees can be made of corrugated cardboard or old cardboard boxes
Sticky tieswork on a slightly different principle. Pests that travel along the trunk simply stick to them and, if immobilized, die. Their effectiveness is greater than in the case of cardboard bands, since the pest is basically unable to pass further through the adhesive band. It is also easier to put on such a band, because it does not need to be tied with a string (it sticks to a sticky paper). However, we will not be able to save useful insects, because all, both good and harmful, will die stuck to the adhesive band.
What trees do we put our bands on?
The bands are put on such fruit treesas apple, pear and plum trees. In addition to fruit trees, in gardens it is also worth wearing bands on pine, spruce and chestnut trees. Conserving these tree species is themost popular uses for tree trunk bands .
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What pests can be combated with the bands?
The trunks around the tree trunks can be used to combat a variety of peststhat travel along the trunk of the tree, either down for overwintering or up to reach the crown of the tree . Remember, however, that bands are not a pest control method that allows you to completely eliminate them.Applying bands only reduces the number of pests , and also allows you to monitor their occurrence. In addition to putting on the bands, other methods of controlling pests on fruit and ornamental trees should be used.The most popular pests of fruit and ornamental trees that can be combated using tree trunks are: plum fruit, apple fruit, apple fruit, some leaf rollers and butterflies, primeval moth, common winter moth, moth moth, gypsy moth, nun moth, horse chestnut moth.
How to put bands on trunks of fruit trees?
Before attaching the headband to the tree trunk,scrape off the cracked bark , which is a shelter for insects. If we prepare bands made of corrugated cardboard or cardboard ourselves, make sure that the band width is 15 - 25 cm. The height at which the band should be mounted may differ depending on the pest to be controlled, but usuallyrecommended mounting heightsrange from 50 cm to 1 meter above the soil surface.
Corrugated cardboard bands on tree trunks
The cardboard is wrapped in a double layer around the tree trunk , which increases the probability that the pest will choose the band as a shelter. At the bottom and top, tie the band with a string so that it does not slip off. The adhesive bands do not need to be tied with a string, so they are easier to install. They are also more efficient because you don't have to wrap them in several layers.So, for examplewith a 5m sticky band we will wrap more trees than with the same length of a corrugated board band
Good to knowIf there is a stake next to the trunk, to which the trunk has been tied for stabilization, the band should also be put on the stake. This is necessary because the pests can also roam the stakes and thus find their way outside the blindfold.
When to put bands on tree trunks?
The timing of installation of the bands varies depending on the species of the protected tree and the pest to be controlled. The most populardates for putting bands on tree trunksin the orchard and ornamental garden are presented in the table below.
When to remove the bands from the trunks of fruit trees?
The bands are taken off when they are full of pests.Usually it is 4-6 weeks after they are put on. If necessary, a new one is installed immediately after removing the band.
Removed cardboard bands are best burned to destroy any pests. We treat the sticky bands as municipal waste.The tree trunk bands described above can be ordered in the shop of our guide. To view the offer, press the button below.
