Re: gypsy moths

**"* B* <r*@gmail.com>**

I can still remember the sound of tens of thousands of gypsy moths
chewing -- and defecating -- during an infestation in Connecticut in
1970. The Connecticut River valley looked like January in June, with
oaks and maples defoliated. The moth population stayed high for a
couple of years, then fell, eventually returned, and the cycle
continued. A fungus that preys specifically on gypsy moths was
imported and released in Connecticut decades ago, but never "took."
Somehow, though, enough spores remained that when we had an
exceptionally wet May one year, the fungus population exploded and
brought the gypsy moths under control. I don't believe we've had
another devastating outbreak since.  Enough gypsy moths remain to feed
the predators, but they stay manageable

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has done a lot of work
on beneficials -- they were working on a control for the hemlock
woolly adelgid a few years back. But establishing a sufficient
predator population takes more time and work (and money) than
spraying. When the public demands instant results, that's what they're
likely to get, even if it's not the most effective long-term method.

Renée Beaulieu
2882 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45208
renee.beaulieu@gmail.com

V 513-322-0384
Mobile 513-702-9242
F 866-218-1294
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