Gypsy moths are a frustrating pest that will kill the trees on your property, so if you consider yourself an arborist then it is best to take action. Normally for indoor moth issues in closets, you can use mothballs but because this situation is happening outdoors you will have to go at the situation from a different angle. Gypsy moths are native to Asia and Europe but are not native to North and South America. When they arrived they began multiplying rapidly, without their natural predators they could breed none stop and are now the most destructive threat to North American forests than forest fires. The damage to old-growth trees is the most frustrating.
The story goes that gypsy moths were brought to America, to Massachusetts to be inspected for their silk quality. The window was open, there was a gust of wind and the moths escaped. This happened in the mid-1800s and by 1889 there was a massive outbreak of them destroying trees by the thousands. Ever since they have been a dangerous and destructive force that could destroy the forests of America. These insects can kill millions of acres of trees in a very short time. They can be sent around the world via global shipping through infested nursery stock to any object with gypsy moth eggs on it. This has allowed them to spread across the world, endangering the trees that give us oxygen.
The gypsy moth’s life cycle starts with an existing female gypsy moth. The moth will be impregnated by a male. She will find a safe place to lay her eggs and will lay a sticky glob of them which she then coats in her own body hairs for protection. After the egg mass is laid the female moth will die. This is normal for most insects and arachnids as they generally suffer a very large death rate. This is done in the late fall and the eggs will continue to sit in that spot until spring when the temperature warms. They will then hatch when they are warm enough. When the eggs hatch tiny gypsy moth caterpillars with small blackheads will crawl out of the egg casings. They will climb to the top of the tree and eat the leaves or if the tree does not have enough o eat they can swing in the wind on a line of silk and be swung to another tree. This process continues through most of the spring well into June. They feed mostly at night so they are not picked off by birds and other animals and will go through six instars as they slowly transform into their final state ready to be pupas. They stop eating and then enter the pupa stage where their skin hardens, they wiggle off it and sleep for about seven to ten days after which a gypsy moth will crawl out of the cocoon casing. They reproduce like this once every year.
The best way to control or exterminate these terrible and dangerous insects is to follow all preventative tips. Make sure to clean up all debris from your yard as it will give the caterpillars a place to hide. Clear away all dead branches or any sticks on the ground and trim back dead branches. If you find an egg mass destroy them by scraping them off and putting them in soapy water for a few hours. This will kill them and prevent caterpillars from emerging in the spring. You can purchase a gypsy moth trap that will help tell you how many moths are on your property. The most effective method is to make a homemade gypsy moth spray that can be used on the leaves and branches of your trees in the early spring when the caterpillars are still very small. You make it by mixing boric acid with water and spray the moths or caterpillars directly.
