How to put grease bands on fruit trees
Updated: 22 October 2026
You are at a young apple or plum with a roll, scissors and string if the pack includes it. The ring has to be complete before wingless females climb, and it has to come off before the glue mats or holds anything larger than an insect. This is how to put grease bands on fruit trees: the month, the height, the overlap, the stake, and when it comes off. The [grease bands for fruit trees](/hub/garden-supplies/grease-band) page lists the amazon.co.uk rolls checked on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase from that page can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are at a young apple or plum with a roll, scissors and string if the pack includes it.
You are at a young apple or plum with a roll, scissors and string if the pack includes it. The ring has to be complete before wingless females climb, and it has to come off before the glue mats or holds anything larger than an insect. This is how to put grease bands on fruit trees: the month, the height, the overlap, the stake, and when it comes off. The grease bands for fruit trees page lists the amazon.co.uk rolls checked on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase from that page can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Stated length | Stated width | Fixing in the pack | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Provanto Provanto Boltac grease band, 5 m | 5 m | Not stated | Wired string | 8.2 | about £5.95 | View offer |
 Defenders Defenders grease band, 1.75 m × 10 cm | 1.75 m | 10 cm | String | 8.4 | about £6.94 | View offer | |
 SWISSINNO SWISSINNO grease band, 5 m × 5 cm | 5 m | 5 cm | None | 7.5 | about £12.99 | View offer |
On this page
When the band has to be on
The Royal Horticultural Society fits the band in late October and expects the glue to stay sticky until April. Growing Success says early autumn through to spring. Chewed leaves in May belong on the grease bands for winter moth page before you buy another roll. Take the band off by the middle of April, or sooner if the glue has matted or caught anything larger than an insect.
How high, and why the figures differ
Measure from the soil, not from the grass tips. The Royal Horticultural Society says about 45 cm above the soil. A PIC bullet in this set says about 60–80 cm. Growing Success says about 50–80 cm. Averaging 45 cm with 60–80 cm would invent a number none of them printed.
Follow the height on your pack. If the roll is silent, measure about 45 cm, and keep the ring clear of grass and mulch. The Society says the glue must not hold a bird, a bat or a mouse. Give the stake that same height when you tie it. Fissured bark still leaves tunnels under paper, which is the choice on the grease band or fruit tree grease page.
Cut, wrap and tie
BBC Gardeners' World gives the order: measure, cut an overlap, tie if needed, and peel the cover. Brush loose bark flat first, because a flake under the paper is a tunnel. Growing Success asks for about 10 cm of overlap, tied above and below the glue.
That 10 cm is that brand's instruction, not a figure on every roll in this set. If the pack is silent, use about 10 cm as a rule of thumb and keep the join sticky across its width. Roll length, if you have not bought yet, is on the grease band buying guide. The sticky side faces out. Glue against the bark lets the insect walk on paper. Band the stake in the same session, and clear any branch, label or tie that would let an insect walk around the ring.
Check it, then take it off
After a wet or windy week, look at the glue. A dull, gritty or matted surface is no longer the sticky barrier the Society wants until April, so fit a fresh band. If anything larger than an insect is caught, take the band off before April. Do not pull feathers or skin. If you cannot free a bird without tearing, phone a wildlife rescue and leave the cutting to them. Peel the trunk and the stake by mid-April.
Common questions
What month do I put a grease band on in the UK?
Fit it in late October if you follow the Royal Horticultural Society, and keep the glue sticky until April. Take it off by the middle of April, or sooner if it has matted or caught anything larger than an insect. Growing Success says early autumn until spring, so a September band needs a check before you trust the stick. A June fitting misses females that have already climbed.
Is the height 45 cm or 60–80 cm?
They are different published figures, so do not merge them. The Royal Horticultural Society says about 45 cm above the soil. A PIC bullet says about 60–80 cm, and Growing Success says about 50–80 cm. Use the height printed on your pack. If the roll is silent, use about 45 cm, and keep the ring clear of grass and mulch.
Do I band the stake as well?
Yes. The Royal Horticultural Society and the Growing Success steps both include the support, at the same time as the trunk. A bare cane is a path around a finished ring. Band it at the same height, and move any tie that runs from the stake into the trunk below the glue. A low branch or a label on the bark can bridge the ring in the same way.
How much overlap do I cut?
Growing Success specifies about 10 cm of sticky overlap. That figure belongs to that brand, not to every roll, so treat it as a rule of thumb when your pack is silent. Measure the girth first. A trunk of about 20 cm needs a little over 30 cm of band before the stake. A bare gap at the join lets an insect walk past the glue.
When do I take the grease band off?
Take it off by the middle of April, or sooner if the glue has matted or caught anything larger than an insect. The Royal Horticultural Society expects the surface to stay sticky until April. If dust has dulled that stick in winter, fit a fresh band rather than waiting on a dead strip. Peel the paper from the trunk and from the stake.
What if a bird is stuck on the band?
Do not pull feathers or skin. If you cannot free the bird without tearing, phone a wildlife rescue and leave the cutting to them. Stop if a bat is caught, because bats are protected in the UK and a rescue should handle it. A pet you cannot release cleanly needs the same pause. Provanto UK reviews mention a bird and a woodpecker, which is why the ring needs a look through winter.
Related pages
Sources
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.
- RHS, grease bands and tree barrier glues (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- RHS, winter moth caterpillars (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- BBC Gardeners' World, how to deal with winter moths (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Garden World, fruit tree grease (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, section 1 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 5 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Ashridge Trees, how to apply grease bands (retrieved 19.10.2026)