Dear Editor:
About the time my first letter on Gypsy moth was published, Mother Nature stepped in to control the pest in Erin’s corner of Wellington County. What happened? Caterpillars died en masse, their innards turned to mush.
Apparently, spring 2021 marks the peak of this Gypsy moth cyclical infestation. When you search online for “Cornell University research Gypsy Moth” you’ll find a few research reports which describe naturally occurring predators: wasps, a virus and more recently identified “death clouds of fungal spores” which kill most Gypsy moth caterpillars, but not all. A few survive to continue the species.
So we can relax, the worst is over for now. It might be wise to monitor rainfall then, as needed, water battle-weary trees slowly and deeply at the drip line to help them recover.
We are finding a few white female moths [with egg masses] on tree trunks hiding behind grass and plants, under loose bark, inside grooves in rougher bark and in hollows. You can use a blunt tool or gloved hand to squash them before they can lay even more eggs.
Louise McMullen,
Erin