Grease bands for apple tree ?

[whitbybabe]

My apple tree is coming up for its fourth summer and for the last three years has been covered in ants.Am I right in thinking that you can buy greasebands to put around the base of the tree to stop them getting onto the tree ?
It gets snidered out with them and puts me off picking the fruit !

[Clanad]

I suppose grease will work, but the brand name for the preferred product here in the U.S., is Tanglefoot available at most DIY or graden stores. It's not as messy or possibly harmful to thinbarked trees such as many fruit trees...

[Hawkwalk]

grease bands are for protection against moths that lay their larvae at the base of the tree and they will hatch and then climb up the trunk. It will probably not work against ants.

Ants will be up the tree to feed off honey dew which is deposited by aphids. The best control is to get rid of the aphids and the ants will not have anything to feed off. Also do not allow fruit to ripen and rot as this will also attract ants.

[whitbybabe]

Thanks to both of you.

[Lonnie]

go with Clanads answer, Here in Britain its just called 'Fruit Tree Grease', i've been using it for years, excellent, any garden centre will sell it.

[whitbybabe]

Thanks for that,I will be buying some soon !!

[Hawkwalk]

go with my answer and tackle the root cause of the ants which will be aphids or rotting fruit.

[whitbybabe]

I am sorting it this weekend before the weather turns warm and all the horrible little beasties emerge !!

[whitbybabe]

Me again,whats the best way to PREVENT aphids then?

[Thunderbird+]

Hi whitbybabe, I was in a garden centre today and noticed some boxes of grease bands on the shelf and I remembered your question, it said on the box "kills moth grubs ( a couple of other insects I can't remember) and ants.
Wheather they work or not, I dont know but try giving the brand name a google, it's 'Boltac' grease bands.

[whitbybabe]

Cheers for that.I almost sawed it down today as ants have made an appearance already,but was persuaded otherwise !! I am gonna check the garden centre out tomorrow.Thanks again.

[numptyjames]

put a strip of brown paper around the trunk about 6 ins wide
tie it top and bottom loseley smear vasaleanall over the paper .
hang fat balls in the tree to atract the birds all through the year you will do 2 things get rid of any caterpillers and feed the birds
at the base of the tree water with a weak solution of jeyes fluid once after put ant powder around