BLACK LINE AROUND PEAR TREE

Old pear tree in my garden has a black line painted around the trunk? about 2 foot up from ground level. about 2-3 inches wide.

any ideas why this is?

something to do with ants?

thanks, danny

 

Not sure Danny, I think it is a ring of tar or similar to stop crawlies.

It is not the high water mark, from when your garden was last flooded is it. :D :D

 

It is indeed the remais of a trap for catching insects. However, it is not to stop them crawling UP rather it is to trap them crawling DOWN. It is time now to renew it. Buy yourself some Boltac Grease bands and away you go!

 

Black tar is better than grease bands as the little naughties can still climb behind a grease band as they can leave slight gaps behind them where as tar sticks firmly to the tree without any gaps. You can buy it in small pots and it's much better.

 

thanks vm

"Bio Boltac GreaseBands
These Bio Boltac Grease-bands offer an organic method of deterring pests, especially winter moth caterpillars from your fruit trees. The biggest threat to fruit trees is the flightless female winter moth, which emerges from the soil in autumn, making her way to the top of the tree to mate. She stays in the tree over winter, laying her eggs in spring. It is these young caterpillar that destroy your next fruit harvest, by feeding on the young leaves and fruit."

high tide mark!