Re: Light Brown Apple Moth

I don't know if my experience with light brown apple moth is relevant as like plants out of place, pests out of place seem to behave differently, but here goes. Here in their natural habitat, I find they are a seasonal pest of spring and occasionally autumn, and they seem to have a very narrow temperature range. Once it heats up or gets cool they disappear. They seem to last a week or two twice a year. They are destructive of new growth but of established plants, trees a year or two old, not seedlings. They prefer what used to be called eucalypts. Rarely do they do so much damage that the tree is compromised but if an infestation is followed by any adverse event then the tree may die. A bad infestation does seem to weaken a plant in ways that are not obvious. Treating them seems to be a waste of time here as the climate usually takes care of them and they seem unresponsive to everything except plunging the beggers in hot water and screaming 'die you demons, die'. I am curious as to what you are being threatened with by way of the consequences of their arrival, because, as I mentioned they are a minor problem here rather than one of those things that make me think lovingly of concrete and parking lots.
 
Margaret Healey
Near Ballarat
----- Original Message -----
From: p*@att.net
To: m*@ucdavis.edu
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 4:49 AM
Subject: Light Brown Apple Moth

I have just been reading about the light brown apple moth, which has just been found in the California Bay Area. I am wondering if there are members from other continents who have any experience with this pest?
 
It seems to eat everything (well 250 species, in many plant families). It is from S.E. Australia. I wonder if it has moved to mediterranean parts of that continent or other mediterranean areas? The article in yesterday's Chronicle (Business Section, for California members--you can read the article on sfgate.com) says it has invaded New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Hawaii. From the Web, I think maybe it is in Europe too?
 
My question is whether any members live in areas where it has invaded, and, if so, is it as awful as it sounds? What is done locally to manage it?
 
Thanks,
 
Pam Peirce
San Francisco, CA
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