Gypsy caterpillar/moths

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ENCORE50A

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Not sure about other areas of the country, but here in northern Michigan the problems with Gypsy caterpillars is exceptionally bad. Without question, its the worst since we retired here 16 years ago.
They are completely eating up the foliage on the oaks, maples and even the red pine.
There are so many, that when the wind is calm it sounds like a hard rain for the droppings. We have a long and large blacktop driveway, which I have to take the leaf blower out and blow the droppings off the driveway. It is so bad that its not that you're walking through ship, its that its dangerous slippery. Like walking on marbles.
A couple days back we had a sprinkle rain during the night. The next morning all the ship on the driveway created a total mess. It was so slippery that I had to get the power washer out and try to clean up the mess by the road. It took me 2 hours to clean up just a 12'x40' area and I had to use the red nozzle to get it all off.
First thing this morning before anyone drove on it, had to take the blower to the drive. Unless you've witnessed this type of mess, its hard to believe it could be this bad. I read the other day that some county put aerial spraying for the Gypsy moth on the ballot, which was approved by the voters. A small charge added to their property taxes and the whole county is sprayed.
 
There are some things you can do to control them, too. MSU and U of Wisconsin have some good info on them. The e2700 pdf is more info from MSU
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/gypsy-moth-outbreaks-in-michigan
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/gyps...management-2/management-guide-for-homeowners/
No disrespect intended but, that just cracks me up. ;)

When you live like most of us up here, its right in the middle of the woods. No way would I have the time or resources to spray or tape thousands of trees.
One of my friends that lives over in Newago county just told me its just as bad there too. She said their neighbor just put in new concrete and its brown/black and he can't power wash it clean. If the lawn needed mowing, I should probably hook the cart up with the blower attachment and pick up all the darn partial leaves.
Its to bad that those caterpillars don't eat ticks. One of the tree service guys I know says even that issue is over two fold this year. He did say that the ticks are remaining below 10'. When I was a kid, we were outside in woods, fields and tall grass playing every day. Never knew back then what a tick was.
Things are a changing.................

Just received some information from a friend in Midland county:

Info about Midland that you might find useful:
The Midland County Gypsy Moth Suppression Program began in 1986 in response to the massive defoliation of nearly one third of the entire County's forest cover. The Program was, and still is, funded through a popular millage voted on by the residents of Midland County.
The Program's goal is to suppress the number of gypsy moth larvae to an acceptable level in areas where people live. Eradication of the moth is not possible and attempts to eradicate the insect would surely meet with failure. The alternative is to manage the insect and its damage. This has been shown to be achievable throughout the Program's history. Careful monitoring and precise spraying has helped to keep the gypsy moth at a very low level in most of the County for nearly a decade.
This program is managed contractually using Aquatic Consulting Services LLC. You can find out more information about us and other services we offer by following the link below.
Aquatic Consulting Services LLC
 
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The last two years were very bad here in CT with Gypsy moths. Our oaks really took a beating, and there was no acorn crop for two years running. Right now there is a glut of oak fire wood for sale due to the number of dead oaks that came dow or were taken down. I have two huge dead oaks on my property, but the tree services want 2.5-3 thousand dollars per tree to take the trees down. I can't afford that on my fixed retirement income. At least when the trees do come down on their own (hopefully many years from now) they won't hit the house.
There is a parasitic fly that lays eggs on the caterpillars and when they hatch the larvae eat the caterpillar. I guess it takes a year or so for these flies to populate enough to curtain the gypsy moths. Sometimes nature has to run it's course. The defoliated trees will allow sunlight to reach the ground and promote vegetative growth that will benefit wild life.
Interesting fact: The English Starling (bird) was imported to the U.S. because it was thought that they would feed on the caterpillars. Seems they found other foods they preferred, and rarely eat the caterpillars.
 
We live just north west of Toronto in Ontario and have had a similar outbreak the past two years. Although we are in a residential area the caterpillars have invaded the oaks, maples (all types), spruce, beech most of our other decorative trees and other vegetation. When sitting out on the deck or one of the patios you get either caterpillars dropping on your head/neck, caterpillar droppings and sometimes both. Umbrellas help but don’t stop the caterpillars as they seem to like the underside. Similar control techniques as noted above are being used but really only help marginally and on very local levels as we have many mature trees in town and are connected to a conservation district that has 1,000’s of acres which is mostly forested. I did spray a few of our decorative trees as they were being completely decimated as well as banding which is keeping the caterpillars at bay for now but that’s about all it is doing.

And yes the paved driveway is a roller rink when dry and a slippery slime and slide when it rains. If the rainfall is heavy enough it washes the droppings into a French drain than then plugs. So now we watch the weather forecast and if rain is forecast blow the driveway clear to prevent the slimy mess that will follow the rain.
 
Sounds similar to issues caused by the mayfly (fishfly) swarms around St Clare. Been fortunate here, haven't had any such issues here in the Brighton/Ann Arbor area
 
I was in the national forest here in NW pa. 10 miles from my house and could not believe the damage. Behind my house this morning putting camera's out and is not bad yet ,but they will be here. This is something the infrastructure bill needs to adress. Write and call your congress and Senate.
 
This won't solve that kind of issue, but I control the moths in my yard with a black light over a shiny drywall mud pan filled with soapy water. . It kills around 100 each night. It seems to prevent the tomato horn worms, and who knows what else. We had elm leaf beetles that stripped our Mexican Elder tree completely in the spring for a couple of years. I finally had to spray to contol them. I put out bug zappers, and haven't had a problem since.
 
My wife uses a small bucket with soapy water in it and a solar walk way light fitted to the lid of the bucket with about a 2" gap between the lid and the top of the bucket to catch june bugs. The grubs of the june bugs eat alot of her plants.
 
Think you have crappy problems? It doesn't matter how many times you power wash and blow the driveway off, within a few short hours it will look like its never been touched.



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You can't walk with flat soled shoes without risk of falling, even in the yard. When you wear shoes with a textured bottom, you have to scrape it off/out.

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Not sure about other areas of the country, but here in northern Michigan the problems with Gypsy caterpillars is exceptionally bad. Without question, its the worst since we retired here 16 years ago.
They are completely eating up the foliage on the oaks, maples and even the red pine.
There are so many, that when the wind is calm it sounds like a hard rain for the droppings. We have a long and large blacktop driveway, which I have to take the leaf blower out and blow the droppings off the driveway. It is so bad that its not that you're walking through ship, its that its dangerous slippery. Like walking on marbles.
A couple days back we had a sprinkle rain during the night. The next morning all the ship on the driveway created a total mess. It was so slippery that I had to get the power washer out and try to clean up the mess by the road. It took me 2 hours to clean up just a 12'x40' area and I had to use the red nozzle to get it all off.
First thing this morning before anyone drove on it, had to take the blower to the drive. Unless you've witnessed this type of mess, its hard to believe it could be this bad. I read the other day that some county put aerial spraying for the Gypsy moth on the ballot, which was approved by the voters. A small charge added to their property taxes and the whole county is sprayed.
They're really bad up here in Marquette! Permanent stains on the deck, sidewalk.
 
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