It's also a deterrent for ground squirrels and rats climbing the trunk for those juicy morsels. They don't like the gummy goop on their feet. If enough is placed on the trunk and the branches are high enough the squirrels can't jump to them you just have to fight off the birds. The nurseryman said to wrap the trunk in saran wrap first and spread the Tanglefoot over that. Since I've already lost all but 1 Mission fig to those varmints I'm going to try it this week. I think IÂll Âpaint the lower branches too.

My only question is will the 3'-4' wrapped trunk and branches suffer from being enclosed in the saran wrap? We'll see.

I don't know what would happen using Saran, but I'd hesitate to find out the hard way. I used stips of plain old paper bags wrapped around the trunk and held on by good quality masking tape top and bottom. The seam where the bag overlaps is also sealed with masking tape. It has to be good quality so you can tighten it up and not have the little varmints crawl underneath it. Smear the tanglefoot on the wrapped bag, and at the end of the season the tape will be brittle and it will all come off easily. Try to keep it high so water splash doesn't throw mud and debris on the tanglefoot. If that does happen just get a stick and "rough it up" a little.
I'm not worried about squirrels and such getting tangled up in the tanglefoot, but if birds land on it (horizontal branches) it could be a death sentence.

I've used this with good results in the past, but I've always wrapped the trunk underneath. I'm curious whether anyone has applied it directly to the trunk, and if it had any averse effects on the tree? The reason I ask is that the asian ambrosia beetle seems to be taking hold in my orchard #1 (fortunately no sign in orchard #2 or at my home in the city)-- and I'd like to use tanglefoot to help catch those nasty little fellows.

Thanks fignut, I'll try the paper bag first. I had visions of root development on the trunk due to the humidity that's likely to form. Not worried about birds on the lowest branches so much as I will net the tree afterward.

Thanks

Gene,
yes i use it directly on trees i did use tape several times but i stopped to messy for me. I see no ill to the tree other than it making a black ring that seems to stay there on trunk, in this picture you can see it along with a piece of old tape that actually stuck and has been there several years easily.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=3368499

I dont recommend doing it to anyone so later they say it harmed there tree.

Here is what it says on tube of tanglefoot

1. Fasten tangle guard banding material (waterproof paper or similar wrapping material around trunk. Place out of reach of children or pets.
Note: On rough bark trees, plug all gaps under band with cotton batting or similar material. Do not apply directly to tree.
2.
Apply tree tanglefoot pest barrier over banding. Remove cap and apply directly from tube. Apply pressure from bottom of tube to dispense. Use putty knife or disposable paddle to spread 3" wide by 3/16" thick.
3.
When sticky area becomes covered with insects, or other debris, remove banding and repeat steps 1 and 2.

Disposal: Remove all bands after insect season. Wrap in newspaper and discard in trash. Do not reuse empty container. Clean tools with mineral spirits.
End of tube instructions, for me i just spread with flexible plastic cut from a coffee lid in a thinner layer on fig trees and use putty knife and thicker layer on regular yard trees like my elm tree and do this directly on all the trees. No i dont recommend doing it but if your daring go for it!
As stated there 3 simply ingredients on tube that dont seem harmful but thats just my thought.
Natural Gum Resins
Castor Oil
Vegtable Wax

Best Health
Martin

Thanks Martin -- I think I'll try it as it may be more effective against the beetle. Will use it only on one trunk per tree until I see effects. I've got to stop those beetles somehow.

Sorry you've got this thing Gene.
I'd never heard of this pest, so did a search. There is a trap mentioned.

Here is a link that might be useful: Asian Ambrosia Beetle

Gene here is another site with information, it has 2 links to click on with information on this pest.
The pictures showing the boring dust protruding out of the bark is unlike anything i have seen.
We have a type of bettle called the asian longhorn bettle that is now in our county and in chicago's county as well destroying ash trees which are abundant all over,im lucky as i stopped the builder from planting on my property as i wanted to plant different types so not to look the same as everyone else who has the ash trees.
The link has what looks like the trap that fignut mentioned as insectiside does not seem to have an efect from the brief reading i did. The tanglefoot will stop the males from crawling up on the trunk(cannot take flight) but i think the females have flight capabilities not sure though.
Best Luck
Martin

No edit function, sorry here is the link

http://www.walterreeves.com/insects_animals/article.phtml?cat=21&id=948

Thanks you two for the links. I first noticed some damage last year, but seemed very limited and I didn't think too much about it. This year they've multiplied quite a bit -- damaged one small seedling persimmon and killed two apricots (wasn't having great fruit set with the apricots anyway, the persimmon has sent up a new shoot). They seem to love fig wood. I've been cutting quite a number of trunks back to the ground hoping to slow them down. At least the fig comes back readily from the ground. If they keep getting the older trunks though, I won't be having much fruit. Since they are isolated to this one site, I'm wondering whether they came in on stock from one of the SE nurseries rather than via migration (I've read reports that they've migrated as far north as MD). I'd ordered a number of persimmons from a nursery in that area, so it's not impossible.

Gene,
yes i did read that they do come from nursery stock.
I hope you can take care of them some how as it seems they get worse in time with trees especilayy the fruiting kind,
Truly best wishes to you.