How to Use Red Sphere Traps in Fruit Trees.

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It's that time of year again. June begins, the heat starts rising, and the apple maggot mother fly begins looking for a place to deposit her young. Red Sphere Traps are an organic, all-natural way to trick those nasty bugs. When placed in your apple trees and baited, the fly sees that giant red trap, thinking it’s a ripe apple, and her days are over. This is how to save your apples from those apple maggots.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

The Red Sphere Trap (1 per every 100 apples)
Tanglefoot
Hooks
Optional apple scented lures

Step1

Assemble your Red Sphere according to the package instructions (there are many manufactures and different kinds of Red Sphere traps that are put together in different ways). If you're going to use the apple scented lure, put it inside the trap. Make sure the hook is in-tact and sturdy.

Step2

Apply the Tanglefoot. Sometimes you can find this product in the "brushable" package; it's almost like a can of rubber cement with its own brush attached to the cap. Most of the time I can only find the Tanglefoot tube, either way, completely coat the outside of the sphere. Tanglefoot is sticky and the flies get stuck on the glue.

Step3

Hang the fully baited trap in the apple tree (it also works in pears, plums, and cherries). The trap should be in the middle of the branch, in a space that leaves and twigs won't touch. You can hang 1 trap for little trees and up to 5 traps in big trees.

Tips & Warnings

If the trap is getting filled quickly with flies, take it down and clean it off. Tanglefoot is sticky and you have to scrape the coating off with a knife (wear gloves please). Use mineral oil to get off the last bits and coat the trap. Reassemble, bait, and hang. You might need to add another trap or 2.
Clean at the end of the season so you can use the trap next year. Less garbage in the landfill and a money saver.
The Red Sphere Trap is organic and safe to use around pets and wildlife.
Always read the instructions before using any new product.