i2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May IS, 1982
a:
What you can do to fight gypsy moths
If you do decide to protect
your own trees against
heavy defoliations, in
secticides registered for
home grounds use can be an
effective do-it-yourself
control. Apply them now for
best results. By then the
majority of the eggs will
have hatched but they will
not have had tune to damage
trees from heavy feeding.
Spraying them will also save
you and your family from
most of the irritations
caterpillars inflict.
There are five insecticides
registered for home use;
they are available
throughout the state. All
have been thoroughly tested
and have proven to be en
vironmentally safe. These
include:
1. Acephate. (Orthene) is
registered for both ground
application by home owners
and aerial apphcation for
federal/state/county prog
rams. The spray does
produce a mild,
disagreeable odor for a short
tune after apphcation. It
tends to be costly for ex
tensive spraymg. Orthene is
widely used for controlling
many ornamental insects
pests.
2. Bacillus Thuringiensis
(Dipel, Thuricide, Biotrol) is
registered for both ground
and aerial apphcation for
homeowners use and other
control programs. Results
are not spectacular, but it is
usually effective enough to
prevent severe defoliation. It
1971
7 counties,
92 200 acres
1973
18 counties
856 710 acres
USDA changes
dry bean
standards
WASHINGTON, DC.
The U.S. Department
of Agriculture has
adopted, without
change, a final rule
which will clarify the
U.S. Dry Bean Stan
dards and facilitate
marketing.
Kenneth A, Gilles,
administrator of
USDA's Federal Gram
Inspection Service, said
the changes are
primarily revisions in
the format of the
standards tables which
will make them easier
to understand and use.
Also, all special
premium grades of dry
beans will be deleted
from the standards,
except for the class pea
beans
“We periodically
review grading stan
dards so that the
standards can continue
to serve the needs of the
grain and commodities
market,” Gilles said.
Notice of this action
was published in the
presents no environmental
hazard and may be a good
choice to use along streams,
lakes, reservoirs, etc. It is
relatively costly and two
applications may be needed.
Cool or wet weather reduces
its effectiveness.
3. Carbaryl (Sevm) is
registered for ground and
aerial application for
homeowners and
professional applicators.
Carbaryl is the most widely
used insecticide for gypsy
moth control in the U.S. It is
also widely used by home
gardeners to control a wide
range of vegetable pests.
4. Imidan is registered for
ground application only and
may be used by
homeowners. Its en
vironmental unpact record
has been good. It is a com
monly used insecticide for
homegrounds fruit pests.
5. Methoxychlor is
registered for ground ap
phcation only and may be
used by homeowners. It is a
commonly used insecticide
for home gardens and
Japanese beetle control.
Insecticides registered for
use in government control
programs or by qualified
foresters only include
Dunihn and Dylox. These
two materials are not
registered for use by
homeowners. Demihn is
used by the state. It is ef
fective and safe.
Tree trunks can be en
circled with a piece of burlap
or similar material. Place it
Perth of Gypsy Moth Invasion
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and WOOD ROOF TRUSSES
RICHLAND RDI, Pennsylvania 17087
104’ x 232’ x 35’ - NY
MILKING PARLOR 66’ x 116’ Clear Spans
1977
29 counties
1,296,550 acres
1981
46 counties
2 527,000 acres
about chest high and
arrange so it hangs apron
like around the trunk. Such
aprons work best m light to
moderate infestations from
late May thru early June. A
few street or shade trees can
often be fairly well protected
with this method.
When the caterpillars are
half-grown, many of them
feed at night and crawl down
the trunk in the morning to
seek shelter during the day.
The apron provides a place
under which they can collect
and be killed. The apron
must be kept in place for 10
to 14 days, checked daily,
and all trapped caterpillars
destroyed. This control
method is usually suf
ficiently effective to save
enough leaves to keep the
tree green. Do not expect it
to be effective on trees that
are part of a heavily infested
forest.
Repellent tape may have
value in protecting some
trees. It does not protect
trees from caterpillars that
drop onto them from air
currents nor from cater
pillars that hatch from egg
masses located on the tree
above the tape. The tape
may be of value in
preventing caterpillars from
crawling up evergreen trees
and other species in the non
preferred category. This will
help on most evergreen trees
(except blue spruce) since
young caterpillars first feed
and develop on preferred
hosts before they will attack
hemlock, pines, and spruce.
%
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' TIE ARCH TRUSSES FOR
WIDE SPANS
Pa. plans counterattack
(Continued from Page Al)
Hobaugh points out that the
500,000 acres to be sprayed should
not be assumed to be the total
acreage where gypsy moth in
festations are present. If total
acreage where gypsy moth
defoliation is at least 25 percent or
more were figured in, the amount
would be over 3 million acres in
Pennsylvania alone.
In Lancaster County, spraying is
being planned to cover 11,837 acres
and will cost approximately
$106,000. Last year, the moths
defoliated or partially damaged
over 15,000 acres of Lancaster
County woodland.
How It began
Gypsy moths are native to
Europe and first appeared in the
U.S. in Medford, Massachusetts in
1869. Leopold Trouvelot, a
naturalist and entrepreneur, was
trying to breed a disease-resistant
silkworm for the silk industry". His
experiments called for crossing
the gypsy moth with the silk moth,
so he had a package of egg clusters
shipped to him.
Upon arrival, Trouvelot set the
eggs on a windowsill. Un
fortunately, as the story goes, a
gust of wind blew them off. The
package broke and the eggs were
scattered.
The escaped gypsy moths found
a plentiful supply of food in New
England and began multiplying.
In 1889 the first major outbreak
occurred in New England. The
problem didn’t become established
in Pennsylvania until between 1960
and 1965. The state’s infestation
progressed southwestward
following the mountain ridges.
During 1981, the front edge of the
infestation advanced into Centre,
Blair, Huntingdon and Clearfield
counties. Heaviest defoliation and
tree mortality has occurred along
mountain ridges in forested areas
with predominately oak species,
according to the Pennsylvania
Extension Service.
The Extension’s “Pest Sheet”
goes on to explain that in new
areas of infestation, its level of
importance is closely related to
number of people residing in the
area. The normal pattern has been
two years of light infestation with
minimal defoliation followed by
two years of moderate to severe
defoliation with population
70 Ft. - 100 Ft.
CRANE SERVICE
Items We Stock...
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TREATED LUMBER
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collapse alter the second year of
heavy defoliaton.
Based on history of the moth in
New England, infestations will
flare up again m future years,
however, caterpillar density and
severity of defoliation will
probably not be as high or
widespread as encountered during
the initial infestation.
The Problems
The greatest problem is the
nuisance created by caterpillars
especially during June. The ur
ticating hairs cause skin rashes
that vary from faint reddish spots
to patches of inflamed skin with
blister-like wheals. The wheals
disappear in 12 to 18 hours and the
rash fades in a few days.
The second problem is economic
loss to recreational and private
woodlands.
The moths
Every five to seven years there
is a period of heavy defoliaton for
about two years, followed by a
population collapse. When this
happens, the visible effects of
feeding gypsy moths practically
disappears. Often, people mistake
the moths as having disappeared
completely. However, these
populations weaken because of
stress. Once weakened, the moths
are susceptible to a virus called
Wilt Disease. Once populations
have diminshed, the feeding and
breeding environment becomes
npe for rejuvenation.
The female gypsy moths do not
fly. As soon as they emerge from
the pupa case, there are usually
four or five males waiting. They
mate almost immediately and the
female lays her eggs that quick.
The female moth is a whitish
brown and should not be confused
with the tent caterpillar whose
nests are currently seen especially
abundant in wild cherry trees.
The males vary in color from
light tan to dark brown.
Control
Homeowners anxious to take
steps to protect their property can
begin now, as the state has done in
their massive spray program.
Each egg mass can contain from
700 to 1,000 eggs, so for each one
destroyed, there will be over 700
fewer caterpillars to destroy trees.
According to Extension, the best
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