daddy

[daddy]

wapearshat is the best way to destroy the gypsy moth before the moth

[mudr]

From my understanding, this late into the growing season it's pretty close to useless to try to control them. Beyond that, you really need to work at the stand-level with a spray like Bt from a crop duster to have any impact. Killing individuals off lower branches may make you feel better, but in the big picture does not impact the moth's population.

Talking to a state forester buddy of mine last year and he kind of predicted a bust at some point this year or maybe next. Once you have an outbreak and the moth becomes overpopulated it's easy for disease to spread (think COVID with our burgeoning human population :) ). There are, I believe, two viruses that will spread and knock them back to "normal" levels. I was out geocaching with my kids this weekend and came across a tree that was covered in caterpillars, with at least half of them dead in the characteristic "upside down U" shape that is indicative of one of the two diseases. That's a good sign- at least at that locality disease was taking over.

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but there probably isn't much that can be done at this point.

[TapTapTap]

with at least half of them dead in the characteristic "upside down U" shape that is indicative of one of the two diseases.



Are you sure that those bodies weren't shed exoskeletons? I understand that the caterpillar will shed 5 or 6 times before maturing. that's a lot of sheds.

[mudr]

No, they were the caterpillars themselves. See the link below, second picture.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/ipm/Invasive_species/Gypsy-Moth/virus-and-fungus-disease-cause