Barry Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 Can anyone tell me, please, what the blackish rings on our trees might be? We bought the house with several trees in the garden (willow, walnut, cherry, apple to name a few) which all display a black ring about a metre up the trunk. They have clearly been painted on by the previous owners as some form of parasite and/or insect protection. It looks a little like tar or creosote. What I'd like to know is firstly what the compound is (no trace of similar in our garden centre) and, secondly, is it effective? If it is effective, when is the best time to treat trees, and how does one apply the stuff - spray or brush - and at what optimum height? I'm sorry to have to admit my wife's and my ignorance in this matter but we would like to do our best by our leafy friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 It's to trap female moths as they climb the trunk of fruit trees to mate with members of the opposite sex in spring. I think it's the flightless females that it traps - the males can fly - codling moths and the like. You paint it on. It's like sticky grease, comes in a tin like Lyle's Golden Syrup, but not as tasty. Your garden centre should have it - look again. A metre above the ground is about right. If the moths mate their caterpillars burrow into the fruit - end result maggoty apples, plums etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 "willow, walnut, cherry, apple"The apple I can understand, but the others????Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Hmm - willow, walnut and cherry - yes, odd. Apple and plum are the usual ones. Maybe the guy had a fetish for the stuff and a hatred of insects? Didn't like ants up his trees? I can't imagine what else it would be, though, any other ideas, Chris? I don't know of anything else that you paint in a band round a tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 I wasn't disagreeing with you Phil, I reckon the blokes a nutter (the one that did the artwork, that is).Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikew Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 He liked symmetry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted November 11, 2006 Author Share Posted November 11, 2006 Hi AllI'd just like to say thanks for your input. I'm a little wiser now. I checked again today and the "ring thing" is definitely on the willow, mirabelle, and cherry. It's hard to tell on the walnut. Might have been there but not sure. Once again, my gratitude to you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 No probs, Barry. You might also see fruit trees with trunks painted white - they've been limewashed to kill the bugs that live in the cracks of the bark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanneclaire Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 Hi Barry,I would normally have agreed to the reply given by the others, except for the fact that this year, my cherries were infected with maggots. The local people have said that I left them too long before picking, and I have been wondering if I should put some sort of grease band round the tree, as spraying is out, so perhaps you are lucky that he had a sticky band penchant.jeanneclaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 Hello JeanneClaireThe only maggots I know that attack cherry fruits are those of fruit fly - tar bands or paint won't stop them (though they will stop winter moth, which attack the leaves). For fruit fly you can use those yellow sticky cards to trap them, or pheromone traps, if you want to avoid chemicals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 There's a moth that lays it's eggs in cherries, but Phil's right, painting the trunk will make no difference, the grubs fall to the ground and pupate, the moths when they emerge fly up to the fruit.Still, best to ask the local people, they always know what they are doing.[:D]Whoever it was, either didn't have a clue or got carried away with the paint brush.Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanneclaire Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Thanks for that info, I will put the pheromone traps in the tree, are they same sort that go in the apple or plum tree? jeanneclaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Afraid not - different types of moth, different traps. [:'(]However, in the UK I found the tar method is equally effective for apples and plums and a lot easier, as long as you don't like to hug your trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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