Re: Gypsy moth - the issue of the season

**"* Z* <b*@gmail.com>**

Dear List,
Bt has many different strains but they are all registered Pesticides. Bt can 
be sprayed on vegetables and many other plants. It is safe for birds & 
mammals. Btk is the most excepted strain now. It is used on European Gypsy 
Moth.There are other controls.  The fact that they spread or as some people 
say move on does not diminish their numbers. They just continue to feed and 
breed. There are traps for their control as well. The following is what I 
have just finished writing for www.rittenhouse.ca  It seems that I have been 
edited as well. I will see what happened to the rest of this article and if 
necessary I will post it here.

GYPSY MOTH
The European gypsy moth over-winters in egg masses attached to the bark of 
trees. Egg masses can also be found on garden furniture, car hubcaps or 
bumpers, sides of houses, or in almost any sheltered area. The egg masses, 
can be scraped away and destroyed by dropping them into a bucket of hot 
water containing a small amount of bleach. The egg masses are about size of 
a dollar coin. The egg mass is buff to tan in colour and may contain from 
100 to 1,000 eggs. The eggs hatch into caterpillars (larval stage) when tree 
buds begin to open. This stage lasts up to seven weeks and is when the 
caterpillar feeds. It is important to control European gypsy moth 
infestations in early spring. The caterpillar is charcoal grey with a double 
row of five blue and six red dots on its back. The European Gypsy Moth 
usually stops feeding by early to mid July.
The pupae stage occurs after feeding and lasts 9-17 days. The Pupa cases can 
be found in the same places as the egg masses. The adult moths appear in 
late July or August. The adult female is approximately 30 mm long, white, 
with zigzag markings on its wings. The female is incapable of flight and 
dies about one day after laying her eggs. The male is a brownish colour, 
much smaller, and lives for about one week. The male continues mating with 
several different females throughout the week.

When the European gypsy moth caterpillars are small they remain in the top 
branches of host trees. At first they chew small holes in the leaves and 
later, as the caterpillars grow, they feed from the outer edge of the leaf 
toward the centre. As they get increasingly larger, the caterpillars will 
feed at night, when temperatures are cooler, and descend to shady areas 
during the heat of the day.

TRAPS AND LURE TRAPS
A trap will mechanically trap an insect pest. An example of this is the 
Gypsy Bug Barrier or the Bug Barrier Tree Band. A trap with a lure will 
attract an insect pest to it and trap them. An example of this type of lure 
trap is the Deluxe Japanese Beetle Trap or the Gypsy Moth Trap.
----------------------------
Bruce Zimmerman
Open-Line Garden Show
CKTB 610 AM
Saturdays 10 - Noon EST

www.brucezimmerman.com
abz1@canada.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Yvonne Cunnington" <ycunnington@ispnet.ca>
To: "Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum" 
<gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 7:51 PM
Subject: [GWL] Gypsy moth - the issue of the season

> Hi GWLers:
>
> Our big issue locally here in southern Ontario this season is going to be 
> the gypsy moth caterpiller infestions. I got this question today via my 
> website:
>
> I am interested in your article about the gypsy moth! We in Oakville have 
> learned that some of our lovely forest areas are to be sprayed with btk in 
> May.
>
> I was interested in your comments that this infestation doesn't last and 
> in a few years is not present in that particular area where it was a 
> problem. I would really appreciate any more thoughts you may have about 
> this as my question to our local officials was to be "What happens if you 
> do nothing?"
>
> As I believe our drought-stressed trees will be in serious jeapordy if 
> they are defoliated, I took this issue up on my blog: 
> http://countrygardener.blogspot.com/2008/03/gypsy-moth-spraying-question-of-season.html
>
> I think a lot of public education needs to be done, beginning with my 
> local paper, which refered to Btk correctly in the opening page, but then 
> on page 2 called it a "chemical" -- of course, the public now fears 
> chemicals and all sprays.
>
> I'm sure some of you will be facing this too. I know that Poconos in 
> Northeastern PA were seriously infested last spring.
>
> Yvonne Cunnington
> www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com
> http://countrygardener.blogspot.com
>
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