Gypsy Moths – A Brief Overview

By now, most in DMW are aware of those pesky little “brown butterflies” visiting the area, but many are unaware of their “mission.”

Those little “brown butterflies” are known as Gypsy Moths and can be extremely destructive. They have ferocious appetites and will feast on most trees including oak, apple, beech, birch, willow, and hemlock, and a variety of ornamentals.

The Gypsy Moths were imported into the United States around 1869 by Massachusetts silk farmers. As often happens, some escaped and slowly (very slowly) began migrating westward. They can now be found as far south as Florida and in many of the Midwestern states.

Why they “pop-up” unexpectedly in any given area is still a mystery. It may be part of their migration pattern, or it may be tied to its life-cycle peculiarities. No one seems to know for certain.

Although it’s rare the little buggers will kill a tree outright, the loss of foliage resulting from their ravaging appetite weakens host trees, inviting indirect damage from serious diseases including fungus.

The Gypsy Moth Life-Cycle

Although sketchy, what little is known about the Gypsy Moth’s life cycle suggests it is fairly simple.

The male Gypsy Moth (those brown little critters which created such a nuisance around our homes trees, and ornamentals) mates with the female Gypsy Moth (the larger, white moth generally found on the bark of trees) and produces thousands of eggs. The eggs themselves reside in that tanish-brown patch left on the bark of our trees and on the woodwork around our homes.

But since the female Gypsy Moth can’t fly, how does she get into our trees in the first place? Or was she one of the caterpillars who preceded the “invasion?” And if she was a caterpillar, where did that come from? Was she actually a male who metamorphosed into a female?

I can’t find anything that explains this mystery. If one believes she was hatched like all the others, then how did her “mother” get on our trees to lay the eggs in the first place?

It’s the old “chicken and the egg” story! Or as Yogi Berra would say: “It’s déjà vu all over again!”

Once the female eventually lays her eggs, her life has been fulfilled and she just dies. I don’t know about you, but it just doesn’t seem worth all the effort, does it!

Although I can’t find any definitive information, it also appears the male moth flies around a little bit longer and then also dies off.

As noted above, Gypsy Moth eggs reside in those small tannish-brown splotches clinging to our trees, ornamentals, soffits, and fascia. Depending on size, the “brown masses” can hold anywhere between 500 -1000 eggs just waiting to hatch in the Spring like so many dandelions. And therein lies next year’s MAJOR problem, a gazillion Gypsy Moths just waiting to jump to life and feast on our trees!

But all is not lost! We have roughly nine months to destroy the eggs and abort another, more deadly invasion.

Destroying The Life Cycle

Since the Gypsy Moth invasion has all but ended for the 2008 season, it’s too late to destroy the flying critters. The only remaining remedy is to destroy the eggs before they hatch. According to information I found on the Internet, one of the best ways to accomplish this is to scrape the eggs off our trees and structures into a container of strong detergent.

But as indicated in a flyer passed around DMW, that poses a significant problem: how does one attack the eggs high up in our trees and on our homes?

In my opinion, the best way seems to be through the use of a high pressure water device such as a deck cleaner. These can be rented from ACE hardware for as little as $50 for three hours or $100 for all day. But whatever we do, we must rid ourselves of these critters before they have a chance to hatch. Doing nothing does not seem to be an option. If we wait until the Spring and the critters hatch, the summer of 2008 will seem like a cake walk compared to what we can expect next Spring. I don’t think any of us want to see hundreds of thousands of eggs hatch and begin the process of ravaging our trees.

What Next

Jack Koenig (847-204-9600) has recruited several college kids who currently perform any number of tasks including house painting, general repairs, landscaping, etc. If enough homeowners want to have these kids (young adults) wash the eggs off their homes and trees, Jack will purchase a power washer and hire the kids to do the job. Jack will also oversee the operation.

If interested, call Jack at 847-204-9600. If you already have a power washer, perhaps you would like to offer your services to the folks in DMW and make a buck or two on the side. Just let us know and we’ll place your information on the website!

But whatever you do, please don’t let this slide on by and leave those critters loose our trees in the Spring.

To view photos of the Gypsy Moth transitioning from a caterpiller to a full blown pest, click HERE

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