It's not just us humans who enjoy fresh fruit: many pests feel very comfortable on and around fruit trees and multiply here. Unfortunately, larvae and adult insects that feed on leaf sap or eat the fruit, for example, can cause lasting damage to the tree. Even with very simple means such as glue rings or boards, you can keep some pests under control very effectively.
What are glue rings on fruit trees important for?
Glue rings effectively protect fruit trees from pests such as female frostbite moths by attaching them to the trunk and catching the animals as they crawl up. They prevent egg laying and reduce pest infestation.
How attractant traps work
When it comes to glue rings and glue boards, the pests literally get to you. The inventors copied how they work from nature: Pheromone traps, for example, contain synthetic sexual attractants that are modeled on the odor signals of females ready to mate - very typical of the species, so that you can only specifically catch certain types of insects with them. These traps attract the males, who then stick to the glue. The females, in turn, wait in vain for mating and are therefore unable to lay eggs. In this way, the infestation can be easily limited, although with a constant influx of males, hanging attractant traps is of course not sufficient.
What types of attractant traps are there
In addition to pheromone traps, color plates are also used in fruit cultivation, which work according to a similar principle as described above. The only difference is that the animals here do not react to sexual attractants, but to certain colors. Color panels coated with glue are hung in the tree, while glue rings are attached to the trunks of the fruit trees and their posts between September and mid-March (pests such as female frostbitten moths also crawl up here!). Glue rings catch the animals before they can even lay eggs.
Overview: You can use these attractant traps when there is a pest infestation
- Glue rings: catch female frost moths crawling up the trunk
- yellow glue board: against cherry fruit flies, cicadas and whiteflies
- white glue board: against sawflies
- blue glue board: against thrips
Pheromone traps can be used against apple and plum moths, for example.
Attractant traps do not replace treatment
The attractant traps described cannot completely combat a pest infestation, but can only limit it. They are also usually used to check whether and how strongly a certain type of insect actually flies to the tree. Therefore, in addition to attaching glue rings (€7.00 on Amazon) and boards, you need to take further measures:
- Pests that are clearly visible on the tree must be removed early.
- This is done, for example, by reading, wiping, crushing, brushing or spraying with a powerful jet of water.
- If there is a severe infestation, often only pruning helps.
- Spray the tree with a homemade plant manure, which is also effective against pests.
Tip
Most pests don't like tansy, which is why spraying with a manure made from it is very effective. Eagle and worm ferns, field horsetail and nettles are also suitable.
