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BLACKSBURG, Va.: Gypsy Moths are destroying trees in Southwest Virginia. You may have noticed bare trees or signs of the moths in your yard.
Researchers have seen the most destruction from Gypsy Moths in Southwest Virginia since 2008.
Throughout the state, they've made their mark on about 50,000 acres.
"Gyspy Moths are always present. You just never see it and then it will pop up like this. When it does it can be a real nuisance," said Andy Roberts, an entomologist at Virginia Tech.
They're pesky little critters. These caterpillars can defoliate a tree.
They cleared the leaves from a section of Gap Mountain in Giles County.
"The defoliation per say doesn't kill it, the stress on the tree makes it susceptible to other organisms and it typically will die from accumulated secondary infections," Roberts said.
They'll prey on about 300 species of trees but favor Oaks, Willows, and Aspens.
Andy Roberts specializes in Gypsy Moths within Virginia Tech's Entomology Department.
He's helping Slow the Spread, a project that reduces the mating habits in moths and prevents their spread to other trees.
"Counties that have had defoliation in the past Bedford, Giles, Craig, Pulaski, had defoliation and defoliation again this year. It's moving a little bit still southwestward," Roberts said.
He said Gypsy Moths are often misidentified as tent caterpillars like these Fall Web Worms.
"That is definitely not Gypsy Moth. No tents, no webs, that's where a lot of confusion comes in," Roberts said.
Instead Gypsy Moths hang tight to the trees, eating leaves, planting
eggs on the bark, and rarely congregating.
Roberts said Gypsy Moths tend to be more present when it's hot and dry. Cool and wet weather kills some of them.
The best way to get rid to them is to call pest control or spray their eggs in early Spring with soybean oil.
Those dead caterpillars look like they were affected by BT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis. At least that is what they can look like if your area was sprayed or a neighbor sprayed and some waffled over to your property.
This was my first thought also, but after talking to two people in very different areas, they both reported the same thing. One person lives 25 miles from me, and the other lives across the Long Island sound in CT. So I'm pretty sure no one came in the dead of the night to spray.
This was my first thought also, but after talking to two people in very different areas, they both reported the same thing. One person lives 25 miles from me, and the other lives across the Long Island sound in CT. So I'm pretty sure no one came in the dead of the night to spray.
The one thing about aerial spraying is that they usually don't postpone except for the worst conditions. If there was an area that was downwind of you and they had a fairly stiff wind (not so much as to ground the air craft) it would be possible that some of the spray could hit several properties not in the paid 'spray' zone. But I do not know; just speculation. I also do not know how effective BT is in minimal doses?
But possibly it was simply your weather conditions. Perhaps your local agricultural extension service has more information?
I haven't seen many gypsy moth caterpillars here in southern NJ, at least not so far. One year, I could hear them munching on the leaves. There were that many of them. It was very creepy.
Loads of Gypsy Moths in central Long Island, it's kind of disgusting, they're everywhere. The ground, the walls, the trees, the car. I hate seeing them suspended in mid air blowing around in the wind, I've had few touch me.
I haven't seen any in NYC or western Long Island, oddly enough.
Loads of Gypsy Moths in central Long Island, it's kind of disgusting, they're everywhere. The ground, the walls, the trees, the car. I hate seeing them suspended in mid air blowing around in the wind, I've had few touch me.
I haven't seen any in NYC or western Long Island, oddly enough.
As far as the previous post about hearing them munch with bad infestations: I think most of the noise we hear are their droppings hitting other leaves and dropping to the ground. Of course I would rather like to think that I am being hit by leaf pieces than being pooped on!
We have a lot of them in central MA as well. They are decimating quite a few oak trees on our street.
Just wondering if this is an actual "infestation" (i.e. overpopulation)? Or do these moths serve a purpose (such as food for another animal)?
I ask because I don't want to "control" them if they serve a purpose. And, if they do need to be controlled, I would like to know an ecologically-friendly way to do so (like attracting a predator to eat the little buggers)....
Just wondering if this is an actual "infestation" (i.e. overpopulation)? Or do these moths serve a purpose (such as food for another animal)?
I ask because I don't want to "control" them if they serve a purpose. And, if they do need to be controlled, I would like to know an ecologically-friendly way to do so (like attracting a predator to eat the little buggers)....
When they first hatched, and they were less than an inch, the entire bird population were in a feeding frenzy. As the cats matured, the less the birds were interested. When the cats were at full maturity (3+inches) the only bird, that was still interested in them was the Blue Jays. But interesting enough, they would not eat the head of the cat. They would take them to a branch, and scrape them till the head was dislodged. After they morphed into the moth stage, many of the smaller/quicker birds were feeding on them sporadically. So I'm thinking they really do not serve a purpose in the sense you are thinking. The destruction far exceeds the benefit.
When they first hatched, and they were less than an inch, the entire bird population were in a feeding frenzy. As the cats matured, the less the birds were interested. When the cats were at full maturity (3+inches) the only bird, that was still interested in them was the Blue Jays. But interesting enough, they would not eat the head of the cat. They would take them to a branch, and scrape them till the head was dislodged. After they morphed into the moth stage, many of the smaller/quicker birds were feeding on them sporadically. So I'm thinking they really do not serve a purpose in the sense you are thinking. The destruction far exceeds the benefit.
Our ducks eat them in all forms. The problem is that they do not climb trees! I did read one article that suggested that our native birds were starting to get a taste for them. I have not seen follow-up information; but I have not been looking. It would seem natural that invasive species would enjoy a certain length of time that our native populations ignore. But, sooner or later if one finds a way to tolerate them; they will be eaten. Look at our deer that eat plants that will kill or sicken other animals.
Glad to hear that our Blue Jays put them to good use! I'm thinking that the Jays hang around with crows and crows do not let food go to waste.
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