The best grease bands, compared.
Top pick: Provanto Boltac grease band, 5 m Best value: Provanto Boltac grease band, 5 m – Scored 82, the next result at 80 or above, and the lowest price per stated metre at about £5.95 for 5 m. Width unstated. Two UK reviews describe birds stuck. Updated 22.10.2026.
A grease band is a sticky strip tied around a fruit-tree trunk, glue facing out, so wingless female moths stick before they climb and lay. In the UK the usual target is winter moth on apple, plum, pear and cherry, and ants climbing toward aphids. It will not deal with codling moth, plum moth, or aphids already in the canopy. Judge it by a length that matches the bullet, a stated width, and string or wire in the pack. Smooth young bark can take a ready band. On cracked bark a paper strip will not fill the fissures, so brush-on grease is the usual choice. Fit the band in late October, about 45 cm above the soil, on the trunk and on any stake, and keep the glue free of debris until April. The glue should not be able to hold a bird, bat or mouse. Timing, the overlap and the stake are set out in the [how to fit a grease band](/hub/garden-supplies/grease-band/sub/grease-band-how-to-fit). On ornamental trees the chewing is often left, because the caterpillars feed nesting birds.
A grease band is a sticky strip tied around a fruit-tree trunk, glue facing out, so wingless female moths stick before they climb and lay.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How many trunks are you banding?
Provanto Boltac is a 5 m roll at about £5.95, the lowest price per stated metre in this set, with wired string and a UK origin. It is 4.3 from 425 amazon.co.uk reviews. UK reviews often say it stopped ants on fruit trees. The width is not stated. Two UK reviews describe a small bird and a woodpecker stuck to the glue.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have several slim trunks and want the most stated metres for the price.
Less suitable: You need a stated width, or you cannot check the band often enough to free anything larger than an insect.
Specifications
Common questions
What comes in the Provanto pack?
A 5 m band and wired string. The saved listing does not state the width.
Do UK reviews mention wildlife?
Yes. One UK review describes a small bird stuck, and another describes a woodpecker stuck by the wing.
Is a width printed?
No. Length is 5 m. Width is not stated.
PIC is a 5 m roll at about £7.99 with a fastening thread, origin Germany, listed at 4.2 from 4,993 reviews. The bullet says about 11 trees at a 45 cm circumference and suggests 60–80 cm so birds miss the glue. The width is not stated. Only four UK review texts are in the file, and one says the ants walked over.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 5 m roll with thread and you can judge it on the bullet, not on the review count alone.
Less suitable: You need a stated width or a file full of UK fitting notes before you trust the star line.
Specifications
Common questions
How many trees does the PIC bullet claim?
About 11 trees at a 45 cm circumference. That is the listing's own sum, not a count of trunks in a review.
What height does the PIC bullet give?
About 60–80 cm, so birds are less likely to meet the glue. The width is not stated.
Why is the review count hard to use?
The listing says 4.2 from 4,993. This saved listing contains four reviews marked United Kingdom. One of those says ants walked over the band.
The Defenders band is the clearest size in this set: a bullet of 1.75 m by 10 cm, string in the pack, about £6.94, and 4.2 from 2,255 amazon.co.uk reviews. UK reviews say it stopped ants on apple and plum trees. The title says 1.7 m, and the file lists both 40 g and 580 g. Reviews also say the folded grease gets on your hands, and that dust and rain mat the glue.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a stated 10 cm band with string for one or two slim fruit trees.
Less suitable: You need several mature trunks from one pack, or a peel-off backing.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the Defenders band?
The bullet says 1.75 m by 10 cm. The title says 1.7 m. String is included.
How long does the listing say it stays sticky?
The bullet says it remains effective for 2 months. UK reviews say dust and rain shorten that.
Does the file show an organic certificate?
No. The listing says poison-free and suitable for organic gardening. No certificate is in the saved listing.
SWISSINNO states 5 m by 5 cm at about £12.99 and is 4.2 from 1,579 amazon.co.uk reviews. UK reviews often say ants stopped on apple, cherry and pear trees. The bullets do not include string. Reviews say the backing is hard to start, the band lifts on bark that is not smooth, and one cat met the glue.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a stated 5 cm width and you can tie the band with your own string.
Less suitable: You have ridged bark, or you want string in the pack at a lower price per metre.
Specifications
Common questions
Is string included with the SWISSINNO roll?
The bullets do not list string. UK reviews describe a backing paper you peel off.
What size does the listing state?
5 m by 5 cm. The colour field says white. Weight is 105 g.
Do UK reviews mention animals other than insects?
One UK review says a cat met the glue. Another disliked trapping spiders.
This pafnisoin band is about £6.99 and the title matches the bullet at 25 cm by 3 m, with 8 straps of 1.2 m. It is listed at 4.0 from 162 reviews. Those UK texts also appear on the about £13.99 pafnisoin listing, so they are not a separate sample. Reviews split between ants stopped and ants walking over.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a short wide band and you have read that the reviews are shared with the longer listing.
Less suitable: You want an independent review sample, or a 5 m roll with a known brand width.
Specifications
Common questions
Do the title and the bullet agree?
Yes on this listing. Both say 25 cm by 3 m, plus 8 straps of 1.2 m.
Are the reviews only for this roll?
The UK texts, the 4.0 from 162 line, the rank and the image URL also appear on the other pafnisoin listing.
What did UK reviewers say about ants?
Some said ants stopped on an apple or a cherry. Others said ants walked straight over. Two had not used it yet.
This pafnisoin listing is about £13.99. The title says 25 cm by 10 m and the bullet says 25 cm by 5 m, with 20 straps. Weight is 590 g. The 4.0 from 162 and the UK review texts match the about £6.99 pafnisoin listing, which states 3 m. Do not treat the 10 m title as the length you will receive.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if you can confirm the shipped length on the live page before you pay about £13.99.
Less suitable: You need a length the title and the bullet both state.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a 10 m roll?
The title says 25 cm by 10 m. The bullet says 25 cm by 5 m. Both figures are in the same saved listing.
How many straps does the bullet list?
20 straps of 1.2 m. The other pafnisoin listing lists 8 straps.
Are the 162 reviews a second set?
No. The UK names, dates and wording match the 3 m pafnisoin listing, and so do the star line, the rank and the image URL.
The generic roll is about £6.60, brand Generic, kraft paper, size name 50 m and a 2 inch width field (about 5 cm). It is 2.6 from 3 amazon.co.uk reviews. Both UK texts in the file failed: one binned it because it stuck to itself, and one said it does not work. A bullet calls it a slippery barrier and mentions flies. The rank is plant covers.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only as a last look if you already accept a size name and two failed UK fits.
Less suitable: You want a grease band with string, a stated metre length in the bullet, and UK reviews that fitted it.
Specifications
Common questions
Is 50 m stated in a bullet?
No. 50 m is the size name. The width range field says 2 inches. The pack list is one roll of tree barrier tape.
What did the UK reviews say?
One person binned it because it stuck to itself. Another said it does not work. The listing is 2.6 from 3 reviews.
Where is it ranked?
141,926 in Garden and 822 in Plant Covers, not in outdoor insect control.
Shelf date 19 October 2026. Scores use the amazon.co.uk listings and the UK review notes for seven bands. This is not a lab test. A bullet that says pesticide-free, organic, or waterproof is not scored as a measured result. The Royal Horticultural Society explains the job. It is not a score for any listing. The highest score is the top pick. Among the other products scored 80 or above, the lower shelf price is best value. One of each. The weights below sum to 100.
Amazon evidence
30%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, scaled to 20, then reduced when the count is small, plus a count band up to 10. No review line scores 0. The two parts are added and capped at 30.
Listing fit
35%A length that matches the bullet, a stated width, string or ties in the pack, and no junk field treated as a feature.
Review outcome
20%UK texts that describe ants or crawling insects stopped on a fruit tree score higher than a thin UK file, or reviews that never fitted the band. A bird or cat stuck is recorded. It lowers confidence. It is not a lab fail.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against stated metres. The lowest price does not score when the length is only a size name and the UK reviews did not fit the band.
Match the job, the bark and the bullet before the star line. A grease band is for wingless winter moth or for ants on the trunk. Smooth bark can take a ready band. Cracked bark wants brush-on grease. A stated length, a stated width and string in the pack are the listing checks. Prices in this set run from about £5.95 to about £13.99.
A grease band is a sticky strip tied around a fruit-tree trunk, glue facing out, so wingless female moths stick before they lay. In the UK that usually means winter moth on apple, plum, pear and cherry. Many people also want to stop ants climbing to aphids. It is not a treatment for codling moth or plum moth, and it does not clear aphids already in the canopy. Ready bands are sticky side out. You cut a length for the trunk plus an overlap and tie it on.
The usual window is late October until April, about 45 cm above the soil, on the trunk and any stake. A fit after the wingless females have already climbed does not stop that generation. Keep the glue free of debris.
Codling moth and plum moth females fly. A sticky trunk band does not stop them, and it does not clear aphids already in the canopy. Buy it for winter moth, mottled umber, March moth, or ants on the bark.
One listing says 10 m in the title and 5 m in the bullet, and it shares its review line with a 3 m roll. Another gives 50 m only as a size name. Read the bullet. A paper strip on cracked bark is the same class of mistake: it will not fill the fissures.
Buy the length the bullet states, not the figure that only appears in the title. In this set one roll says about 1.75 m by 10 cm in the bullet and 1.7 m in the title. Another says 10 m in the title and 5 m in the bullet. A third gives 50 m as a size name, not as a bullet. A 5 m roll is the practical pack when you have several slim trunks. One seller's line of about 11 trees assumes a 45 cm circumference, which is a young trunk, and it is the listing's own sum. Width should be printed.
The job is wingless winter moth, mottled umber or March moth, or ants walking up a trunk. Do not buy a band for codling moth or plum moth. Those females fly. Do not buy one for aphids already in the leaves. On cracked bark, brush-on grease in the fissures is the usual advice. Every product here is a ready band. UK review notes that describe ants or other crawling insects stopped on a fruit tree are the outcome that matters.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a stated 10 cm band with string for one or two slim trunks. The Defenders band is the clearest specification in this set: bullet 1.75 m by 10 cm, string included, about £6.94, 4.2 from 2,255 reviews. UK reviews say ants stopped on apple and plum. The title says 1.7 m, and dust and rain shorten the glue.
You want metres for several slim trunks. Provanto Boltac is a 5 m roll at about £5.95, the lowest price per stated metre here, with wired string. It is 4.3 from 425 reviews. The width is not stated. Two UK reviews describe a bird and a woodpecker stuck, so you need to check the band.
You want a stated 5 cm width and you can tie the band with your own string. SWISSINNO states 5 m by 5 cm at about £12.99 and is 4.2 from 1,579 reviews. The bullets do not include string. UK reviews say it will not sit on rough bark, and one review mentions a cat on the glue.
The top pick is the Defenders grease band, scored 84. The bullet states 1.75 m by 10 cm, string is in the pack, the shelf price is about £6.94, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.2 from 2,255 reviews. UK reviews say ants stopped on apple and plum trees. The title says 1.7 m, the file lists both 40 g and 580 g, and dust and rain mat the glue. Best value is Provanto Boltac, scored 82: a 5 m roll at about £5.95, the lowest price per stated metre, with wired string. Its width is not stated, and two UK reviews describe a bird and a woodpecker stuck. A 4.2 from 4,993 reviews is not the top pick when the file holds four UK texts and the width is missing. The about £6.60 roll is not best value when the length is a size name and the UK texts did not fit it.
Provanto Boltac grease band, 5 m
Scored 82, the next result at 80 or above, and the lowest price per stated metre at about £5.95 for 5 m. Width unstated. Two UK reviews describe birds stuck.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources for timing, bark and wildlife, plus the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Shelf prices read 19 October 2026. Updated 22.10.2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Links use the amazon.co.uk tag pcuk26-21. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures stored on 19 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test.
