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LIED’S is certified,
educated, and equipped to control this damaging infestation. We offer consultation
services where a certified arborists can analyze your needs for gypsy
moth control.
The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is one of North America's most
devastating forest pests. The species originally evolved in Europe and Asia
and has existed there for thousands of years. In either 1868 or 1869, the
gypsy moth was accidentally introduced near Boston, MA by E. Leopold Trouvelot.
About 10 years after this introduction, the first outbreaks began in Trouvelot's
neighborhood and in 1890 the State and Federal Government began their attempts
to eradicate the gypsy moth. These attempts ultimately failed and since
that time, the range of gypsy moth has continued to spread. Every year,
isolated populations are discovered beyond the contiguous range of the gypsy
moth but these populations are eradicated or they disappear without intervention.
It is inevitable that gypsy moth will continue to expand its range in the
future.
The gypsy moth is known to feed on the foliage of hundreds of species of
plants in North America but its most common hosts are oaks and aspen. Gypsy
moth hosts are located through most of the coterminous US but the highest
concentrations of host trees are in the southern Appalachian Mtns., the
Ozark Mtns., and in the northern Lake States.
Gypsy moth populations are typically eruptive in North America; in any forest
stand densities may fluctuate from near 1 egg mass per ha to over 1,000
per ha. When densities reach very high levels, trees may become completely
defoliated. Several successive years of defoliation , along with contributions
by other biotic and abiotic stress factors, may ultimately result in tree
mortality. In most northeastern forests, less than 20% of the trees in a
forest will die but occasionally tree mortality may be very heavy.
Forest Effects
Despite over 100 years of presence in North America, researchers are still
at a loss to explain and predict the extent of the changes in forest vegetation
likely to take place through gypsy moth disturbance. A major concern is
the potential loss of economically critical and ecologically dominant oak
species (Quercus, spp.). Most studies of forest compositional changes with
gypsy moth defoliation indicate that less susceptible species will dominate
the forest, so in effect, forests may have fewer gypsy moth problems in
the future.
Natural Enemies
A variety of natural agents are known to kill gypsy moths in nature. These
agents include over 20 insect parasitoids and predators that were introduced
over the last 100 years from Asia and Europe. Small mammals are perhaps
the most important gypsy moth predator, especially at low population densities.
Birds are also known to prey on gypsy moths but at least in North America
this does not substantially affect populations. A nucleopolyhedrosis virus
usually causes the collapse of outbreak populations and recently an entomopathogenic
fungus species has caused considerable mortality of populations in North
America.
Management:
Over the last 20 years, several millions of acres of forest land have been
aerially sprayed with pesticides in order to suppress outbreak gypsy moth
populations. Though some areas are treated by private companies under contract
with land owners, most areas are sprayed under joint programs of state governments
and the USDA Forest Service. Your local extension service can provide more
detailed information about programs in your area.
The USDA, State and local governments also jointly participate in programs
to locate and eradicate new gypsy moth populations in currently uninfested
areas. Most of these projects focus on populations of European origin, but
recently several Asian populations have been discovered and eradicated in
the US and Canada.
In 1992, the USDA Forest Service began a pilot program to test the feasibility
of slowing the spread (STS) of the gypsy moth in North America. STS pilot
programs currently exist in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Michigan.
Research:
The gypsy moth has been intensively studied over the last 100 years in North
America. Currently there are numerous groups around the country investigating
various aspects of the biology, ecology, and management of the gypsy moth.
This work is funded by the USDA Forest Service, the USDA Agricultural Research
Service, the USDA Cooperative State Research Service, the USDA Animal and
Plant Health and Inspection Service, and numerous state and private Universities.
To View Gypsy Moth Life Cycle Click
Here
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