• A transformative new shoreline initiative comes to our lakes

• LDD (Gypsy) moths: What can be done about them right now? What is the life cycle of the moth? How do pheromone traps work?

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Is your waterfront in need of a little TLC?   

 

It's been a devastating season for our oaks and pines as we've seen them under sustained attack by overwhelming masses of Gypsy moth or LDD ( Lymantria dispar dispar) caterpillars. By now, many trees are completely stripped of leaves and needles. As the caterpillars transform into pupae – their next life stage – we continue to field questions about how to deal with this destructive invasive species.

 

Below is a chart describing the life stages of the LDD moth and stage-appropriate treatments. (Click here to see a larger version of the chart.) During all life stages, you can spray with a mixture of oil and water (and a small amount of dish soap which acts as an emulsifier) and manually remove and destroy as many caterpillars, pupae and moths as you can reach. After scraping them off trees, buildings and other surfaces, immerse them in a bucket of soapy water.

 

Some people have reported some success in the past with pheromone traps, which, when employed during the adult moth stage, act to disrupt the mating process by attracting and capturing the smaller, brown male moth before mating can take place. (The male moth is the only one that flies.) Our current LDD moth population is so large these traps may not make much of a difference, but they might be worth a try. They are available here. 

The population is showing signs of the presence of a virus and a fungus. Both can be present in an LLD moth population at the same time.

 

The effects of the virus (nucleopolyhedrosis virus or NPV) are evident in our local GM population. Dead larvae (caterpillars) hanging upside down in a "V" shape on trees or the sides of buildings is an indication that this fast-spreading virus is at work in the population. (Source, Province of Ontario) The photo below was taken on June 27th in the Burleigh Falls area.

 

The fungus ( Entomophaga maimaiga) is native to Japan and was first introduced in the northern US as a biological control for GM. This fungus flourishes in moist conditions. Unfortunately, our dry spring season may not have been conducive to its fast spread, though there are signs that it too is present. Cadavers of large GM caterpillars killed by the fungus are stiff, dry and hang head down on trees or the sides of buildings. The photo, below, was also taken in the Burleigh Falls area on June 27th.

 

It's hard to know just what course the GM infestation will take next year, though a good indication will be the number of egg masses found on trees and other surfaces by the end of August. Remember, one egg mass can contain between 600 and 1,000 eggs. Scraping the masses off surfaces and into buckets of soapy water or soaking them with an oil and water mixture (see our website for a detailed description of this process) will reduce the number of larvae next spring.