Virtually wingless, female winter moths hatch in November, then crawl up fruit trees to mate with male moths. The eggs that are laid hatch into caterpillars in spring, which eat the leaves and flower buds of the affected tree.
Usually they cause very little damage and don’t reduce the overall fruit yield. However, in large numbers, they can weaken the tree and reduce yields. In these cases you may wish to trap and kill female moths before they climb the trunk to mate, by attaching a grease band to your fruit trees.
Follow our guide to controlling winter moth, below.
You Will Need
- Grease band
- Scissors
- Garden twine
Total time:
Step 1
Unroll the grease band and measure how much you’ll need around the base of your fruit tree.
Step 2
Cut off the length required, ensuring the ends overlap so there aren’t any gaps.
Step 3
Stick the overlapping end firmly in place. If it’s not secure, tie it in position with two lengths of string above and below the band of glue.
Step 4
Peel off the paper covering the glue.
