Grease bands - advice please.

[marchogaeth]

The RHS web site says:-

Grease bands are mainly used to protect fruit trees, such as apple, plum, pear and cherry. 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.

Mottled umber moth (Erannis defoliaria), winter moth (Operophtera brumata) and March moth (Alsophila aescularia) have wingless females which, after emerging from the pupal or chrysalis stage in the soil, must climb the tree to mate and lay their eggs. The caterpillars of these moths eat the leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs during late March and early June.
Grease bands trap some of the wingless females before they reach the branches. Winter moth is the most important of these moths and it emerges as adults during November to mid-January.

I searched on here and sort of got the impression that grease bands (bands of grease) may not be worth while so can I ask please:-

1. Are grease bands or a band of grease worth doing even though they are no 100%?

2. When do they need to go on, as I've found dates as from beginning of September to end of October?

3. Is there any reason not to just use "axle grease" as I already have a gun full of the stuff? How wide do the bands of grease need to be?

4. Do I need to do plums and damsons?

Thanks.

[Kleftiwallah]

(1) Yes they are worth doing.

(2) Any time (as you have discovered), when it is convenient at this time of year.

(3) I use black plastic about 4 inches wide held in place with electrical insulation tape and axle grease
(or open gear grease if I can find it) liberally applied.

(4) Why not?

The band needs to be about two feet up the trunk, if the trunk splits before that into two,
just band each of them.

Cheers, Tony.

[northepaul]

Yes its worth doing because its not just moths thats overwinter in the trees - I have had terrible problems with scale in my damsons, after clearing them up, I put a grease band around the tree, (as they dont fly) and since this, have no problems with them.

[VirginVegGrower]

Stops the moth climbing the tree, about two foot up as already said and any time now really. Some people just smear the grease on which you can buy in tins. Or pre stickied bands are another possible purchase.
You can put traps in trees for codling moth.

[marchogaeth]

another possible purchase.

Thanks V - you have the fatal words in there! I asked about making my own because there's 15 out there that need doing and it looks like aboout £5/head! They're about three years off fruiting 'cos they're big guys so the less expense they incur for no return the better. Had a real coddling moth swing in last year from near by wild cherries who all seem to have died this year so I'll have to have a real look at whether I can protect them next year or just resort to picking and pyrethrum (I know it's meant to be organic but I'm not keen!)

Thanks Klefti and Paul - it's so nice just to be able to clear up advice with real people! Just got to wait for the rain to stop now (again!).