Gypsy Moth Spray Season Update - April 25, 2016

It is gypsy moth season again

It is the time of year again to watch for and manage gypsy moth, an invasive species that eats the leaves of hundreds of different kinds of trees and shrubs. Although they are not very picky, gypsy moth caterpillars prefer oak leaves and when populations of the pest are high, they can eat all of the leaves off of a tree in one season.

What you can do

It is important to get started on the things you can do personally, to help manage gypsy moth populations if they are in your area. A wealth of information is available at http://gypsymoth.wi.gov. On that webpage:

First, the gypsy moth quarantine map gives a good idea of where gypsy moth populations might be high. If you live in a red county on the red and white map, watch for signs of gypsy moth. They are not everywhere in the red counties, because their populations go through boom and bust cycles, but they are established in the red counties and more likely to build in population there in any given year than in the white counties on the map.

Second, click on the "learn more" link under the photo of the gypsy moth caterpillar. Here, you can view pictures of gypsy moth in all of its life stages and viewphotos of other caterpillar species, to help you identify gypsy moth.

Third, if you suspect you have gypsy moth on your property, under the "More gypsy moth information" heading, click on the link "Tips for yard trees with gypsy moth" or "Managing gypsy moth in forests or woodlots," depending on the type of property you have. The tips for yard trees will talk you through putting sticky barrier bands and burlap bands around your trees in April and May to help capture gypsy moth caterpillars before they defoliate your trees.

To stay updated on gypsy moth populations and spray activities in Wisconsin, sign up for automatic email updates or call 1-800-642-6684 and dial menu option #1.

The next email update will be sent later this week.