Gypsy moths

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Author Message   Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 1554 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 11:36 am:        I'm not only disgusted by the gross hairy caterpillars of gypsy moths, but, now having done some research on how they kill trees by defoliation, I'm concerned for the fate of my trees. Has anyone here had their trees sprayed? Is there anything we can do? And do gypsy moths really kill trees, or is this less likely to happen? I hear they like oaks, and I have a beautiful oak on my property.   peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 2010 Registered: 8-2002 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 11:49 am:        Miserable beasts! Unfortunately, depending on how bad the infestation is, you need to spray the entire area, not just 1 tree or 1 yard. If its severe enough the Shade Tree Commission should do something. That said, you can do a couple of things yourself -- buy the "tree wound" "paint" -- very sticky -- paint ~3" bands around your trees -- as I recall, its optimal 3 - 4' off the ground. This prevents them from getting up into the trees. (but it won't be a pretty sight when the beasties get stuck!) -- buy traps for the moths (I believe right now they're in the caterpillar stage - so you have time). You should hang multiple traps. They have a pheromone in them and early on will fill up nightly. I recall in the late '70s when Gypsy moths threatened much of NJ -- and was involved with this as a Boy Scout and then as a summer job. Pete   Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 1555 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 11:58 am:        OK, will do. Do you know where to get the traps and tree paint? In eight years as a homeowner in the suburbs, I don't remember ever seeing these things before. Someone told me they come in cycles, like every 7 years. So not having a frame of reference, it's hard to know how bad my infestation is. But those caterpillars are all over my yard.   Darren Say Grrrrrrrr Citizen Username: Darrensager Post Number: 427 Registered: 11-2001 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 1:01 pm:        I remember as a kid how bad they were in the late 70's. In fact it was really weird. I was outside painting yesterday and I saw a moth. I said to myself that it was a Gypsy Moth, and I hadn't seen one in a very long time. When I went online last night, there was a front page article on Yahoo talking about how they're becoming a menace again in NJ. These things are BAD NEWS for our trees. They totally destroy them. What we did at my mom's house was wrap tape around the base of trees, putting the sticky side outward. We would monitor the tape and change it after it lost some of its stickyness. We also hung lots of moth traps around the yard. Moth traps can be found easily online. Even Amazon.com sells them. The better ones are those where you can easily replenish the pheromone bait and re-use the trap.   peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 2011 Registered: 8-2002 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 1:03 pm:        Tree wound repair -- a nursery (Metropolitan?), perhaps even Home Depot or Lowes. Traps -- no idea -- I did a quick google, several online garden places sell them. What I don't recall is how many traps are suggested per lot. You'll be able to find it on the net. Other option - call our country Shade Tree Commission -- they might even have traps! (this is from the web don't know if its correct) Essex County Shade Tree Commission 99 West Bradford Avenue Cedar Grove, NJ 07009-1815 Phone: (973) 239-3366   toad Citizen Username: Toad Post Number: 143 Registered: 6-2001 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 1:06 pm:        Gypsy moth currently are not a problem in Maplewood. (No egg masses - no gypsy moths) Better direct your attention to the Asian Longhorned Beetle which will kill a tree more rapidly and are currently active in parts of Union County. Look for "shot"holes and frass on the bark and a general decline in the vitality of the tree. Call Maplewood's Shade Tree Supervisor or another Certified Tree Expert if you suspect a problem.   peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 2013 Registered: 8-2002 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 1:21 pm:        btw -- a bit later in the season, if you see egg masses, paint them with creosote -- will not harm the trees, will kill the eggs!   sportsnut Citizen Username: Sportsnut Post Number: 2457 Registered: 10-2001 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 2:01 pm:        I grew up about 65 miles north of NYC, about two miles west of the Hudson river and we had about 20 acres of property - two of which were cleared for our house. In the late 70's early 80's the gypsy moths were so bad that you could hear them munching leaves when you walked out of the house. They decimated the trees on our property and we wound up losing quite a few near the house. The top portion of our driveway was asphalt and you couldn't walk on it because it was like a carpet - covered in the catepillars. We'd have to sweep them up into large piles every couple of hours. It was disgusting. I saw one yesterday crawling across our deck and I was surprised because I don't ever recall seeing them around here. There are, however, the remnants of the sticky ring on the oak tree closest to the house. This bears watching since they can devastate areas with their non stop eating of leaves.   Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 1556 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 2:20 pm:        Well, it may be too late to kill those nasty caterpillars, but I just ordered 4 of these: http://www.treehelp.com/shopping/product-detail.asp?Product_ID=2220 I also plan to paint the bases of the trees. I'm not at the point of sweeping up caterpillars, but we have noticed them all over the place. They're freaking my kids out because they keep falling on their heads near the swingset...one was crawling on my 4-year-old's foot and she screamed bloody murder. I tend to be a worrywart about trees, so I hope these traps help. Any other suggestions?   JonSel Citizen Username: Jonsel Post Number: 70 Registered: 2-2005 Posted on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 2:42 pm:        I was wondering about them too. I've only been in my house in West Orange for 3 years, but don't recall seeing them before this year. I found a whole bunch of them in my garage, near the door to the kitchen. That seemed weird to me. Should I be worried about that?   Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 1557 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 3:18 pm:        I went on a message board run by a website called www.treehelp.com, and a certified arborist on the site told me to try the stump rings -- the paint that goes around the base of trees to stop the caterpillars from going up -- as well as something called "BT spray." He said both are usually at garden centers in gypsy moth areas. However, I need to research the BT spray more....I have young kids and a dog and will not spray anything dangerous. I also don't want to kill "nice" bugs like fireflies, butterflies, etc. As far as being worried, JonSel, my research tells me that gypsy moths can do a ton of damage to trees and even kill them. But I am now learning that my "infestation" isn't really much of one...apparently in bad years the caterpillars literally cover the ground, and defoliate the trees. In my case, I am seeing many caterpillars on my deck, in the trees, and on the swingset, but nothing like what I have heard described in terms of really bad infestations. That said, I do notice many tree leaves have holes in them, which is a telltale sign of the caterpillars eating them. I learned that mice, chipmunks, raccoons, and many species of birds will eat the caterpillars, so that's a plus. I have a bunch of chipmunks in my yard, so I am hoping they'll go to town on the suckers.