greaseband

plural greasebands

1. A band of sticky material that encircles a tree trunk to prevent insects from climbing it.

   In the case of young trees with a stake, the support should have its greaseband as well as the stem of the tree.

   1942, Homes and Gardens - Volume 24, page 37

   2 more examples

   Tying a greaseband around tree trunks in autumn will trap many wingless moths as they crawl up to lay their eggs.

   1988, A. M. Clevely, The integrated garden, →ISBN, page 181

   Her head on one side to catch the best view of it, her palms all sticky, she managed to get the greaseband round the trunk.

   2012, Margaret Bacon, Home Truths, →ISBN

present singular third person greasebands · participle present greasebanding · participle past greasebanded · past greasebanded

1. To put a greaseband on.

   Greaseband apple and cherry trees on which spraying is not feasible.

   1978, 415, The Garden - Volumes 103-104

   2 more examples

   Where we have numbers of these insects is it worth while to greaseband ?

   1906, Royal Horticultural Society (Great Britain), Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society - Volumes 30-32, page 28

   “He” was a golden pippin, bearing bushels of fruit sweet and luscious, though rather small; if anybody could have had the heart to scrape the picturesque covering of moss and lichen off the hoary boughs, then whitewash and greaseband the trunk, the apples would have been bigger, though never sweeter.

   1929, Arthur Beckett, The Sussex County Magazine - Volume 3, page 446