Grease band - too late to apply?

[john9159]

I'd like to ask if you think it is too late to apply grease band to my plum, apple and pear trees?
For the first time these hsd a great success rate with very few spoilt fruit.
Just been too busy looking after someone.
I'm in Manchester, weathers been OK but a bit frosty.
Thank you

[nickdub]

no harm in trying it - you tend to have to renew them this time of year anyway as leaves get blown around and stick to the grease - once something like that creates a bridge for the creepy-crawlies to get over, you either have to go round redoing the grease or more likely taking the old ones off and putting new on.

Of course grease bands aren't a panacea - pear midge for example flies and so grease bands don't help with that problem at all.

[ameno]

Just so you know, the main insect cause of spoiled fruits in apples, and to a certain extent in pears, is coddling moth, and grease bands will not in any way prevent or reduce coddling moth damage.

Grease bands are primarily to stop winter moth, the females of which are flightless and climb the trunk, then lay eggs on buds, and the caterpillars then proceed to each the new leaves, flowers and tiny fruitlets.
Naturally, an attack like that would reduce your crop, but they are not the type of insect which damages the growing fruit, and so grease bands won't do anything to prevent wormy apples.

[Scarlet]

Winter moth is mostly active between November - Mid Jan so I think it's worth doing now
I've been reading up - RHS advise that it's best to renew in October and keep it sticky until April.

[bikermike]

A grease band?

tell me more, tell me more...

[nickdub]

A grease band?

tell me more, tell me more...

Think Olivia Newton John fronting the Wurzels :-)