Gypsy Moth

[Wise Old Owl]

Although I cannot print the map Warren & Sussex County is the highest defoliation this year and the AT trail is passing thru this area. SO if you are on the trail in NJ and there arn't any leaves on the trees please realize its Gypsy.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080513_Pilots_resume_battle_with_gypsy_moths.htm l

So help me this IS AT Related....

[Blissful]

Last year was awful in lower PA on the AT, I must admit. Sounded like rain with the poop falling and the crunching of the leaves. UGH.

[Hikerhead]

Last year between Gravel Spring Hut and Compton gap in SNP were right many but they were mostly dead or dieing. If that was from spraying, I don't know.

Last week I didn't see any in the same area.

[ChinMusic]

Did some research work on Lymantria dispar and its pheromones back in the day.

[wilconow]

Last year was awful in lower PA on the AT, I must admit. Sounded like rain with the poop falling and the crunching of the leaves. UGH.

I was on the Wild Oak Trail, near Staunton/Harrisonburg in early June.. the noise was terrible

[trailangelmary]

While hiking with my grandson several weeks ago, I saw evidence of what I believed to be gypsy moth damage on the trees while hiking to hawk rock. And, I thought to myself, oh no...they're back! Some hikers have commented to me about noise and "tree debris" that they thought was from birds but I said I think that is the gypsy moths.
Last year a local that has a cabin on his property in the mountain not far from the trail, was telling me about the path of gypsy moth damage in the area that he was observing. At that time he said we can only wait and see if the damage is so serious that the trees will not recover. He said sometimes the trees can recover. I have not had the opportunity to talk to him this season.

[sheepdog]

Don't they spray for gypsy moths in your area? There is a natural bacteria that is not harmful to the environment. Spray it on the leaves by airplane, the caterpillers eat the stuff and die of a belly ache. It's been used in Michigan for years and has helped save the trees.

[Old Grouse]

Just completed the section from DWG to High Point, but didn't experience any gypsy moth problems. Met Rue, a thru hiker, who said it was terrible in SNP.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

Just completed the section from DWG to High Point, but didn't experience any gypsy moth problems. Met Rue, a thru hiker, who said it was terrible in SNP.
It seems like the GM's have calmed a bit in Northern VA. We went after them in Fairfax with a vengance, spraying and I had all of my Red Oaks wrapped.. SNP was devistated as they only sprayed in "cosmetic areas" so the drive bys would still be senic. The backcountry was bad.
We still have tell-tale oaks here in NOVA, those are trees that are girdled with burlap and monitored by the parks or tree guys or somebody. We still have plenty of leaf damage and droppings from Tent Catapillars who prefer the softer wooded trees. I hate them.

[Scaper]

In the late 1980's and early 1990's the Shenandoah National Park lost Many trees from the catipillars. The dead limbs and trees have been falling down in storms for the past 20 years.

[rafe]

It was pretty serious in Maryland last summer... or maybe it was northern VA. I hadn't put it together that it was gypsy moths. What I noticed was the surprising lack of shade.

[Blissful]

In the late 1980's and early 1990's the Shenandoah National Park lost Many trees from the catipillars. The dead limbs and trees have been falling down in storms for the past 20 years.


And that makes the forest ripe for fire danger in the fall, unfortunately (which they had back in 2000 with the Old Rag fire, I believe it was). A vicious cycle. They should spray, but they don't.

[Pedaling Fool]

Although I cannot print the map Warren & Sussex County is the highest defoliation this year and the AT trail is passing thru this area. SO if you are on the trail in NJ and there arn't any leaves on the trees please realize its Gypsy.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080513_Pilots_resume_battle_with_gypsy_moths.htm l

So help me this IS AT Related....
What's the status of the Gypsy Moth? And what's the status of the 700,000 acres of forest (mentioned in the above article) that was defoliated?

I've always heard about this moth wreaking havoc and I thought I knew what they (the caterpillar) looked like until today using this site and others http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7111.html


All this time I thought I had a pic of a Gypsy Moth caterpillar in my gallery, but it's actually a Forest Tent Caterpillar, which looks very similar to the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, both of which is native, but the Gypsy is introduced.

Here's the pic I thought was a Gypsy, but it's actually a Forest Tent Caterpillar.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=14001&original=1&catid=member&imageuser=6936

[Slo-go'en]

I hiked through PA in '07 and was constantly raking leaf litter out of my hair as it fell out of the trees. At least there were still leafs on the trees as I went though (late May). Felt really bad for those coming up the rear when they had no shade and needed it the most.

I found this statement interesting from the ny.gov website above:

"There is no evidence that ingestion of eastern tent caterpillars is harmful to humans or other animals." So, if your really hungry....

[Toolshed]

And don't forget the elm spanworm (http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/elm-spanworm). When I was doing a lot of hiking in NCPA in the early 90's, these guys were everywhere. I always had 2-3 hanging from my backpack or hat. In the evening, thousands of moths (pure white ) would alight on your tent, clothesline and any damp clothes - They looked incredible when you shined a light on them - a pair of glowing orange beads of eyes.

[Wise Old Owl]

best I could find John


http://eponline.com/articles/2010/06/14/%7E/media/ENV/eponline/Images/2010/06/gypsymoth150.ashx

[burger]

Just because an area had a gypsy moth outbreak last year doesn't mean there will be one this year. The outbreak areas can move around. And, as someone mentioned above, there are control measures that can kill the critters. Most importantly, the trees will grow new leaves this year, and if there is not another outbreak, then all will be normal. It takes defoliation in two or more consecutive years to kill trees.

[Tinker]

So far it's been a warm winter on the east coast. Good for bugs of all kinds.

[Wise Old Owl]

Just because an area had a gypsy moth outbreak last year doesn't mean there will be one this year. The outbreak areas can move around. And, as someone mentioned above, there are control measures that can kill the critters. Most importantly, the trees will grow new leaves this year, and if there is not another outbreak, then all will be normal. It takes defoliation in two or more consecutive years to kill trees.

Well Burger you are making a few assumptions here and that is not a bad thing, and here is the rub (not about you) I have seen GM first hand... every time I went thru the tunnel at NE Turnpike extension going under the trail. It took YEARS for the defoliate to repair itself. . So there's no food for the GM's to come back... wow. And this affected the whole biological system. Because the Oaks were affected - years of Oaks did not produce acorns and the population of Deer fell and were wiped out through starvation for a few years in central PA. So no nothing is normal for a few years after an infestation....just saying from experience and talking to the locals...

[burger]

And this affected the whole biological system. Because the Oaks were affected - years of Oaks did not produce acorns and the population of Deer fell and were wiped out through starvation for a few years in central PA. So no nothing is normal for a few years after an infestation....just saying from experience and talking to the locals...
If you're talking about a multi-year infestation of moths, then, yes, it can take years to recover. Maybe decades because the trees will die.

But if there's just one bad year for acorns, that's absolutely normal. Acorns come in cycle, and some years have tons while in others they're scarce. Mouse and deer populations fluctuate with the amount of acorns. This is perfectly natural and the way it's always been. One year of no acorns is not a catastrophe.

BTW, I've seen moth outbreaks, too, and it's pretty terrible to see, but like I said: for the trees, one year of defoliation isn't the end of the world. And my understanding is that big multi-year outbreaks are becoming less common.

[Wise Old Owl]

Well then we have the same understanding.....

[Pedaling Fool]

... And my understanding is that big multi-year outbreaks are becoming less common.Can you provide a reference, I'd be interested in reading that.