CONTROL OF GYPSY MOTHS

Transcription

1 CONTROL OF GYPSY MOTHS There are many ways you can protect your yard and garden from this pesky pests. DUCT TAPE and TANGLEFOOT In a Summer wrap with 2 widths of duct tape at about chest height from the ground. Then Tanglefoot (a very sticky substance) around the center of the duct tape. (Use a popsicle stick, and don't get any on you or your clothing! It doesn't come off!) Gypsy moths trying to climb up the tree will not go past the sticky tape. After they deposit their eggs, cut tape vertically and roll it towards the shiny sticky side. Place rolled tape in a plastic zip lock, seal and discard it. Don't smear the tanglefoot directly on the tree. It can damage the tree. This is time intensive if you have many trees, but it is effective. We destroyed thousands of them with this method. In the Spring (mid April) put duct tape around the egg mass, and tanglefoot on the duct tape (See pic Gypsy Moth Larvae April 20, 2008

2 Gypsy Moth Eggs Hatching April 20, 2008 BURLAP FOLDED STRIP Newly hatched gypsy moths (feed day and night. But when they get to about ¾ inch in length, they feed mainly at night. They crawl down the tree in the early morning and look for a place to hide. They like the burlap; it makes a good hiding place. In the early evening, go out and lift up the folds of the burlap. Collect and destroy all the ones you find there. Repeat this process at least once every day. BURLAP SPRAYED WITH INSECTICID A 12-inch piece of burlap is tied around this tree. The burlap is then sprayed with the insecticide Deltamethrin. When the caterpillars walk across the burlap, the insecticide gets on their feet. As the insecticide gets absorbed into their bodies, it kills them

3 These newly hatched gypsy moth larvae all died as they tried to go up this cedar tree, and past the burlap sprayed with Deltamethrin. April early May GYPSY MOTH TRAPS When the gypsy moths reach the moth stage, you can catch the males with gypsy moth traps. Males flutter around searching for females. The traps have a bait inside their lid that smells like female gypsy moth pheromone, attracting males. Steps in Making a Homemade Gypsy Moth Trap 1. Select a clear plastic jar or bottle. (for example Vitamin water bottle) 2. Cut about 4 holes in the shape of slots around the jar or bottle, (just below where the bulge starts). The holes should be 1 ¼ inches long, and 3/8 inch high. (More or less) (fingernail scissors work well. Punch a hole with the pointy end and make a rounded slit with the blades). 3. Take off the lid and punch a hole in the center. String a piece of twine through the hole with a knot at the inside end (a screw-eye works best, though) 4. Tape a strip of Pheremone Lure bait to the inside or the lid so that it hangs from the lid down into the bottle.

4 5. Make a loop in the outside of the twine; rig a way to hang the bottle from a tree limb. (Don't hang it near a doorway, or you will have to wear a mask to go outside, and some will get into your house.) 6. Put a couple of inches of water, with a dash of Dawn or some other dish detergent into the bottom of the bottle. (put the water in first or you will have bubbles in the bottom) Follow this link to see Gypsy Moth Pheremone Lures available from Amazon.com GYPSY MOTH LIFE CYCLE Gypsy Moth Larva Gypsy moth larva take the form of a caterpillar. They hatch in the spring from eggs laid the previous summer. They crawl up trees and out on the limbs and start eating tree leaves. They start out small, but soon grow larger as they eat tree leaves. When small they are lightweight and buoyant. They suspend from trees on gossamer strands and get blown by the wind - sometimes for miles. This is one way they can be spread over wide areas. As the caterpillars grow, they molt 5 times; each time shedding their previous skin. Each growth stage is called an instar. Females molt 6 times, and grow slightly larger than males. They can grow up to 2½ inches in length

5 Transition To Pupa When the caterpillars are full grown after about 2 months of eating leaves, they find a place to hide and transform into the pupal stage. The picture on the right shows a caterpillar in the process of turning into a pupa. Gypsy Moth Pupa A gypsy moth pupa is shown on the right. While in the pupal stage, they go through a transition called metamorphosis, and turn into a moth. Male and Female Gypsy Moths After less than a week's time, the male and female moths emerge from their respective pupa. The males are brown and fly. They flutter around seeking a female. The females are white in color and don't fly. They crawl someplace and wait for a male to find them and mate with them, such as is seen in this photo.

6 Female Laying Eggs After being fertilized by the male, the female gypsy moth lays a mass of eggs. An egg mass can hold hundreds of eggs. Egg Mass The egg mass is kind of blob that will stick where it is deposited until next spring. When the eggs hatch there may be hundreds more gypsy moths Multiple Egg Masses Numerous egg masses are being deposited on this tree. Next spring many hundreds of gypsy moth larvae will hatch and attack this poor tree.

7 EXAMPLES OF WHERE GYPSY MOTHS LAY EGGS Gypsy moths lay their eggs almost anywhere. Under tree branch On trunk of tree

8 On potato plant leaves On tree leaves On firewood log On bag of mulch On edge of deck

9 On garden hose On wheel of an SUV Under air conditioner On house foundation

10 Inside a hollow log On a 4 by 4 On a flower pot On plant stake Deltamethrin is a pyrethroid insecticide. Pyrethoids are synthetic compounds made to mimic the pyrethrins that are isolated from chrysanthemum flowers. According to Wikipedia, synthetic pyrethoids are a member of one of the safest classes of pesticides.

11 DELTAMETHRIN / SUSPEND SC Deltamethrin Suspend SC Insecticide provides Deltamethrin in a concentrated suspension of pure micro-crystals. The micro-crystals give Suspend SC a long residual, and instead of being absorbed into porous materials, they stay on the surface. As a result, insects continue to contact them long after the insecticide has been applied. Yet Suspend SC leaves no visible residue, has virtually no odor, and won't clog spray equipment. Suspend SC is a long lasting residual that lasts up to 3 months after application Suspend SC is supplied in concentrated form. It must be diluted by mixing it with water. It is then applied to the burlap strips using an ordinary garden sprayer.