I have just completed picking up and checking 80 gypsy moth traps in Winston County. These traps are placed all around the county to monitor for the presence of the male gypsy moth. The chestnut-colored male and ivory-colored female moths are pictured on the right. While I found a couple of suspicious moths and sent them in for identification, they turned out to be harmless. This USDA trapping program is part of a larger effort across the United States to slow the spread of this pest of the hardwood forests.
Click here for a brochure that gives an overview of the program. It is thought that this program can slow the inevitable arrival of the gypsy moth in this area by 75 to 150 years. The program has cut the spread rate from 13 miles per year to 3 miles per year.
One reason that the spread rate for this moth is so slow, is that the female gypsy moth is unable to fly. Only the males can fly, so they cannot spread rapidly without human help. A common method of spread is egg cases hitching rides on vehicles. If a moth is found in this area, various control measures could be implemented to prevent a population from becoming successfully established. Here's a photo of one of the traps that I set out this year on a white oak tree.
I have just completed picking up and checking 80 gypsy moth traps in Winston County. These traps are placed all around the county to monitor for the presence of the male gypsy moth. The chestnut-colored male and ivory-colored female moths are pictured on the right. While I found a couple of suspicious moths and sent them in for identification, they turned out to be harmless. This USDA trapping program is part of a larger effort across the United States to slow the spread of this pest of the hardwood forests. Click here for a brochure that gives an overview of the program. It is thought that this program can slow the inevitable arrival of the gypsy moth in this area by 75 to 150 years. The program has cut the spread rate from 13 miles per year to 3 miles per year. 
One reason that the spread rate for this moth is so slow, is that the female gypsy moth is unable to fly. Only the males can fly, so they cannot spread rapidly without human help. A common method of spread is egg cases hitching rides on vehicles. If a moth is found in this area, various control measures could be implemented to prevent a population from becoming successfully established. Here's a photo of one of the traps that I set out this year on a white oak tree.
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