Gypsy moth infestation

[LiveBates]

Definitely a increase this year...I remember when I was a kid, we were driving to a friend's cottage...and the roads were slippery due to the amount of them....

[JoePa]

Every couple years the Gipsy Moth show up down here - we have a lot of oak trees around here and they hit them hard - when the infestation is bad the county uses a helicopter to spray the mountain behind my house - what I do is spray the eggs that are attached to the trees around my yard with an oil type spray and that kills the eggs so they don't hatch - by doing this I have kept them from damaging the trees around my yard - one thing to note is that the female can't fly and she crawls up the tree to lay her eggs so usually the eggs are on the lower branches or lower trunk - eventually some virus attacks them and wipes them out - then we don't see them for awhile - if an oat tree is hit two years in a row it usually dies

[MikePal]

The ones that make those nests (tents) are not gypsy moth caterpillars.

Thanks...I always thought they were the caterpillar that turned into the Gypsy moth.

Must be a coincidence, because I know there are fewer Gypsy moths in this area this spring. AND there are also fewer tent caterpillars this year. I'm sure both were worse last year.

[smitty55]

There were a few around here last year but this year the invasion is going full bore. Every single oak around here is totally defoliated, basswood are getting hit hard too and maples so so. Lot's of apple trees being defoliated as well. I've wrapped duct tape around the trunk of my apple trees and smeared it with vaseline to stop them from climbing up the tree but two of them are under the canopy of the big oak beside the house so they've been landing on the tree heavy, specially my golden delicious. I'm out there three times a day spraying them with the hose to knock them off the leaves and branches. I'm also going through 4 gallons of soapy spray mixed with blue dawn ultra, it kills them good on the foundation of the house by the thousands and also on some vegetation but it needs to be rinsed off or it burns the leaves. Here's a pic of the base of that apple tree the other day that shows how well that vaseline barrier works. It concentrates them well so I can kill hundreds at a shot with just a 30 second spray.
vaseline.jpg

[Sharon]

Very nervous about the 600+ year old oak in my backyard. It covers 4 properties. Have seen some caterpillars ,but no damage seen yet. Can't talk the neighbours into getting it sprayed.


edited: caterpillars not moths

[WillieBeno]

Definitely a increase this year...I remember when I was a kid, we were driving to a friend's cottage...and the roads were slippery due to the amount of them....

I remember that too back in the 80's, my dad was throwing them by the handful into the river and the fish would go into a frenzy for them. I've been cutting branches off that have the tents on them and burning them ever since. Last year I cut five branches off a crab apple tree and a black walnut, they're not that bad here yet but I did squish two on the deck the other day.

[impact]

I remember that too back in the 80's, my dad was throwing them by the handful into the river and the fish would go into a frenzy for them. I've been cutting branches off that have the tents on them and burning them ever since. Last year I cut five branches off a crab apple tree and a black walnut, they're not that bad here yet but I did squish two on the deck the other day.

Instead of cutting off branches I use a hand held propane torch to wipe out the tents. Works great!

[greatwhite]

If you know a farmer or someone who handles pesticides see if you can get some Diazinon or some Sevin, that mic up in a spray can spray your trees. Works quick.

[WillieBeno]

Instead of cutting off branches I use a hand held propane torch to wipe out the tents. Works great!

Tried that once with a hornets nest, never again!

[JoePa]

The time to deal with gypsy moths is when the eggs are on the tree - you just spray an oil type solution on the eggs sometime in early spring and that kills the eggs - you have no problem with caterpillars then and it is a lot easier then spraying some chemical once they hatch and climb all over the tree - I have been doing that for years and works great