Author Topic: Grease bands.  (Read 18383 times)

French-Dream

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Grease bands.
« on: November 12, 2014, 08:37:30 »
When I were a lad.... :laughing7: long time back....I remember dad putting grease bands on fruit trees.  Now this was just grease..any old grease...axle grease that they used on any farm machinery. I know you can buy grease bands for the job, but being a Yorkshire lad I'm wondering if there's a diy band that don't cost an arm & leg??
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goodlife

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2014, 10:14:37 »
You can buy 'fruit tree grease' in cartridge....load it in one of those sealant 'guns'..that comes much cheaper than buying in ready made bands and you can apply the grease straight on the bark (on mature trees) or make your own bands.
If you want to go even more of 'DIY' mode.....yes, any grease would do...it is just to stop crawling bugs wondering around for time being.
But if you use Vaseline or any other sort of grease..it is best to be applied on 'band' rather than straight on the bark...you can use brown packing tape, masking tape, grease proof paper or tie strip of old compost bag around tree and smear the grease on that...BUT...if you use plastic, you MUST remove it or change the place on trunk after the season or you can cause some problems under the plastic band.

ACE

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2014, 12:01:24 »
Something I have never bothered with, but after having so much spoilt fruit this year I am going to use something this year. ordinary grease is bound to get smothered on clothes, dogs etc so I will get some proper bands. Surely they are not that expensive compared to the money lost in spoilt fruit.

What time of year does the treatment need to be done and how high up the trunk would they be placed.

goodlife

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2014, 12:22:40 »
Quote
What time of year does the treatment need to be done and how high up the trunk would they be placed.

The grease treatment time scale start in Autumn until late spring and you would put it 1-2 ft high on the trunk...or where ever you have clearing for the bands (below lowest branch) but don't forget any stakes/supports will need 'greasing' too or they will provide nice 'bridges' to the canopy if the trunks are not accessible.

Silverleaf

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2014, 12:49:51 »
Quote
What time of year does the treatment need to be done and how high up the trunk would they be placed.

The grease treatment time scale start in Autumn until late spring and you would put it 1-2 ft high on the trunk...or where ever you have clearing for the bands (below lowest branch) but don't forget any stakes/supports will need 'greasing' too or they will provide nice 'bridges' to the canopy if the trunks are not accessible.

Oh. My little orchard is bounded by a beech hedge on one side, and I'm sure at least one of the trees touches the hedge at the top. Impossible to grease the whole hedge!

goodlife

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2014, 13:02:53 »
Oh I would not be worried about that...for moth climbing through leafy hedge to the fruit tree canopy is like you and me taking on K2 :drunken_smilie:
I think if you have immediate stakes/supports right under canopy is what matters...female moths don't travel far, larvae drop down, develop and hatch under the tree canopy once ready, they try to find their way back up again...no wings involved!
And one can never truly eradicate them all...just keep the numbers under control..so if you can prevent some life circles from completion it will help keeping you crops that little bit 'cleaner'. It is not 'one off treatment' but each life circle you will hopefully have less fruit damage...it is just matter of carrying doing it.
Now add to that some moth traps during summer...and you are starting to make some impact... :icon_thumleft:
I'm going to add 3rd treatment to this...brushing some diatomaceous earth powder on tree trunk during summer...something I've read about but haven't tried yet  :glasses9:
« Last Edit: November 12, 2014, 13:28:11 by goodlife »

tricia

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2014, 12:27:07 »
I've just ordered some grease bands, delivery date next week. Is it a bit late to hope that the codling moth larvae have not already made their way up the trunks of my fruit trees? (I should have read up about this earlier!). I lost a lot of apples this year to the beasties.

Tricia

French-Dream

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2014, 20:25:38 »

If it is too late for this year, what can be done??? spray maybe early next year??
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goodlife

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2014, 20:59:45 »
Well...better later than never at all..that's if one has got 'holes in the apples' issues. I don't mind some, just keeping the numbers down is enough for me.

Weather is starting to turn colder now and I doubt there is that many moths about anymore...unless we still get mild spells. But come spring and slightly warmer conditions and the late ones that stayed in ground..or didn't make earlier on, will get active.

So, if you got some....get them on...

Nigel B

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #9 on: November 20, 2014, 23:37:14 »
... So I was reading this thread with interest as our Apple tree has some sort of infestation... :triplets:
Anyway. When it came to the bit about when is best and when not to apply the grease bands, I clicked here: RHS) in an attempt to try to understand the Codling Moths' life-cycle.
They say
Quote
"Note that sticky barriers give no protection against codling moth, the cause of maggoty apples. That pest has winged females that are active in midsummer. "

I'm still going to put one on mine though for whatever it is ails mine, just as soon as.  :wave:
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tricia

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #10 on: November 21, 2014, 00:15:31 »
Right - I shall order codling moth traps to use next May and hope that the two methods of deterring the beasties will help to improve the apple harvest next year.

Tricia

French-Dream

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #11 on: November 21, 2014, 05:47:49 »
Anyway. When it came to the bit about when is best and when not to apply the grease bands, I clicked here: RHS) in an attempt to try to understand the Codling Moths' life-cycle.
They say
Quote
"Note that sticky barriers give no protection against codling moth, the cause of maggoty apples. That pest has winged females that are active in midsummer. "
I'm still going to put one on mine though for whatever it is ails mine, just as soon as.  :wave:

I've read somewhere that the grease band will stop a number of critters where the females can't fly so have to climb...but the codling females indeed do fly....back to the drawing board.. :thumbsup:
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goodlife

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #12 on: November 21, 2014, 09:32:28 »
Good links Nigel  :icon_thumleft:
So even my moth knowledge wasn't accurate...it is nice to know that at least I have done my treatment efforts right.. :drunken_smilie:
Grease in the winter and traps in the summer...btw...it is surprising how many moths do get court up on those sticky strips.
Because almost every allotment here has at least one fruit/apple tree it is impossible to get rid of the things and very few look after their trees..they are just planted, occasionally pruned, lucky tree is if any 'food' is purposely given to it.
But my efforts with fight against moths is not been waste..when I fist took over my plot, one big apple tree used to have horrid apples..and now I get good number faultless ones into storage :icon_cheers:
I suppose it helps too that I have few birdfeeders dangling from that tree, and birds are fed all year round...they must do their good deed for pest control too.
So...."it over winters in loose bark and leaf litter"..THAT'S IT! I have to use the DE powder during winter rather than in summer that I originally thought.
My personal view about 'spraying with chemicals' is that if I have to result to it....I might as well buy my apples from shop. I use what ever control efforts is available as long as it is not chemical...though I pass the nematodes for now, 'my' maggot problems are not that bad and I just don't want to part with my money when it is not necessary...and other controls have proven to work enough...GOOD ENOUGH results for me :icon_cheers:

bionear2

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Re: Grease bands.
« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2014, 16:29:40 »
Tie-on grease bands are fine on posts, but on rough barked trunks little critters just walk through the spaces under the paper backing. Grease does a better job, but please do not use car grease, which is petroleum based, and will damage your plant. The correct grease is thickened vegetable oil, and is harmless (but not cheap!)
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