Remember back when you were a kid and your parents were freaking out about the gypsy moths destroying all their trees? Ok, well the late 80’s early 90’s since most of you reading this probably aren’t the same age as me… Gypsy moths were really a big concern when I was young. My parents wrapped black tar like sticky bands around all our trees to keep the caterpillar from climbing up. My siblings and I were taught what the egg masses, caterpillars, and moths looked like so they could be killed if found. It was a whole thing. And then… I mostly forgot about them over the years. They just didn’t seem to be that big of a deal anymore.
Well, apparently they are making a comeback. If you Google “gypsy moth” you get all sorts of articles that pop up about outbreaks, invasions, and even frass rain, aka way too much caterpillar poop. Thankfully, I have not found any trees here that are raining frass, but unfortunately I have found more caterpillars than I’ve seen since I was a kid. Last year I found a few, which I promptly smashed, but didn’t find any trees on the property with notable damage. This year though, the caterpillars found our beautiful weeping cherry tree 😟 There is notable damage. I never saw the egg masses, but I’ve been smashing as many of the caterpillars as I can reach…
Gypsy Moths, Lymantria dispar, are originally from Europe. They were actually intentionally introduced to eastern North America around 1870 with the intent of using them to make silk. Unfortunately, not only did using the gypsy moth for the silk industry not work out, but a bunch of the specimens escaped. Gypsy moths, specifically their caterpillars, eat a huge variety of hardwood trees found in North America. And they have been steadily eating their way westward ever since their introduction (check out this cool time lapse distribution map). Although their population levels aren’t overwhelming every year, everywhere, population levels apparently do spike every handful of years (like this year).
If you see these strikingly marked caterpillars in your area – confirm with an entomologist – then smash them.
Questions? Comments?
We’re still trying to figure out how to add comment boxes to the blog, so in the meantime, send me an email!
Join the email list
Want Bug News stories & announcements sent to your inbox? Join the Bug News email list
Support the blog!
Like my blog? Want to help keep the new content coming and the pages ad free? Consider becoming one of my Patreon Patrons! Any amount, big or small, helps me spend more time creating and less time trying to keep the lights on. Patreon Patrons can also get exclusive access to monthly newsletters, story sneak peeks, story requests, and more! Please consider supporting the blog and check out my Patreon Patron support page.
Ok, you say, but what is this Patreon thing you are talking about? Patreon is a service that helps connect content creators with folks who want to help support creative endeavors. Patreon is setup to be able to safely handle the financial side of transactions so both the patron and the creator can be confident their information is secure. You can read more about what Patreon is HERE.
Thank you!!
Not interested in a Patreon monthly subscription? Prefer to make a one-time contribution? We have that option too! Help support the blog with a one-time donation through PayPal instead! Thank you!!
