Gypsy Moth - a depressing lecture
*
Attended a lecture on the gypsy moth (how to id and control) yesterday. It was sponsored by the U of I Cooperative Extension. Standing room only crowd and the conclusion I've reached after the entire lecture is pretty grim.
Gypsy moths are being brought into IL from Michigan and Wisconsin on horse trailers, cars and campers. The lecturer brought in a collection box that contained an egg mass, pupae, caterpillar and adult moth. After the lecture concluded we went out into the Forest Preserve and were shown an egg mass or 2 on trees. Having never seen an actual egg mass, or a moth for that matter, I was very keen to see it in natural light and on a natural surface. I was shocked at how many I saw, once I was able to ID them. I literally saw 15 egg cases on a tree (only 1 1/2 ft diameter to a height of 10ft on the side that I saw...not looking all the way around the tree).
This is going to be another neverending battle, like: buckthorn, Japanese/Tartatian honeysuckle, garlic mustard, multiflora rose, Japanese beetle, purple loosetrife.....
I need a warm herbal bath, really good chocolate and alcohol(heavy sigh).
Print this page
Email this MessageNavigation
Recent Discussions
Orchids 6 replies
Welcome to my garden 4 replies
What is this plant? 3 replies
Unsure of this plant 1 reply
Cinderella plants 1 reply
Cumulative Index 1 reply
Daylilies Anyone ? 10 replies
would like any seeds 2 replies
Morning Glory seeds 2 replies
Who Wants Foxglove Seed? 22 replies
Backyard from Scratch 2 replies
Repairing botched lacquer spot 1 reply
(post #14358, reply #1 of 6)
*
One of the things we have discovered around here is that there is a naturally occurring disease that a affects these buggers and helps control them. After several years of spraying Bacillus thuringiensis and the resultant plane crashes last year not nearly as much spraying was required because populations were way down due in part to the BT but also due to this disease. Things will balance given time.
(post #14358, reply #2 of 6)
*
Yes, we've had them here in the NorthEast for decades. I can remember summer evenings sitting on the porch at my parent's house listening to them munching. :-( They have done damage, but they haven't decimated the forests. I think purple loosestrife has done more damage. :-(
(post #14358, reply #3 of 6)
*
I wonder if they'll make it down to my neck of the woods. We don't have as much woods and we have alot of insectivores, woodpeckers of all sorts, mocking birds, and especially blue birds. None of them seem to care at all for the Jap. beetles, but it seems that nice caterpillers and moths would be very tasty for chicks. Then again, I've heard that in the northeast, the birds get so full of them, they get sick of them.
(post #14358, reply #4 of 6)
*
Gypsy Moths are sooooooo disgusting! But people are right in saying that the population crashes. The trouble is, it seems to take several years of heavy infestation to effect a crash.
It's been about 15 years since the last GM invasion here, but I remember it all too well. The bare leaves, hosing thousands of caterpillars off the side of the house (just to get in the door), shovelling (yes! shoveling!) inches of caterpillar crap off the driveway.
Nothing could be worse.
(post #14358, reply #5 of 6)
*
There are some controls that the Department of Agriculture is using. Pheromone chips, Bt(sprayed from helicopters on the treetops), hand scraping, a soybean derived oil and a naturally occurring fungus. Unfortunately, the fungus is not commercially/economically available. Three days of temps 20-26F below zero will kill all the eggs. Egg cases are most visible now. Bt is sprayed in early April. 2 good things: females CAN'T fly and there are only one generation of moths a year.
Tracer
Try a bumper cicada year. Beady little red eyes staring at you, raucous noise and GIANT bugs flying thru open windows of your car. I know, I know..they are harmless BUT...
(post #14358, reply #6 of 6)
*
Oh yes...those gypsy moths. The year my daughter was born (she'll be 21 in June)they were miserable here. You couldn't even step outdoors without finding them on your clothing somewhere. They were defoliating everything in sight. But we haven't had an infestation that bad since. Now I'm quite worried about the Asian Longhorn Beetle recently discovered in Central Park. There have been a few sightings in CT, but not in my town that I know of. I guess it is just a matter of time.