Colt Case Ingersoll Garden Tractors

This is the second year of gypsy moth infestation in Southern Ontario. We are on a steep learning curve with how to reduce defoliation and tree kill.


300 feet of water hose
3500 psi gas powered pressure washer
one bottle of dish soap
time taken to adjust the soap to water ratio
All of the above $500 Case 646 and trailer priceless
The pressure washer is dead weight when trying to lug it around a couple of acres.

Soaking the trees with a mild detergent brought the caterpillars down out of the canopy. Waited about 1/2 then spot sprayed the critters with a high concentrate of soap as they gathered on the trunks.

I gave up! Didn't even look for a solution. Not sure what I can do even after seeing what you've done. We have two huge ash trees next to the house. I think I need a fire truck to spray those

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They are horrible...

They blew up back when I was a kid in PA. Really wiping out forest. Fortunately, they caught some plague, and mostly died back. They're back in the neighborhood now though, I've been seeing them for a couple years again, but nothing like when I was young. If they hit us big again, it'll be ugly since such a high percentage of our forest is/was ash. With that pretty much all dead, there's fewer trees for those fuckers to concentrate on.

I have not seen any gypsy moths here in my area as of yet. I do see a lot of dead ash trees though. I have a wooded area on my property and most was ash trees. I keep wanting to get in there to cut them down for firewood, but it has not happened yet.

Keep the Peace
Harry

Nice Spike! I like that setup

Like Eugen, I haven't really attempted to do anything this year about them, aside from wrapping the big oak in front of our house with sticky tape (not very effective). I thought last year was bad but it's nothing compared to this year. The local Niagara chapter of the Ontario Woodlot Association conducted an aerial spray program around here this year, but I missed the deadline. Be curious to see how effective it is.

So far around here it's just the Bur Oak that they are attacking. Our Ash trees (the ones still alive) haven't been hit, or the Maples...yet.

It's really a shame - like Toolslinger says there is usually a virus that can wipe them out every 7-10 years apparently, hopefully for us that's not far off.

Add them to the list of yet another invasive species attack on our forests...along with chestnut blight, EAB, dutch elm disease, beech bark disease to name a few.

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Out cutting the grass 3 weeks ago I got hit by those little buggers . The wind was blowing them out of the trees by the thousands . I had some "sting me " , felt like a mosquito bite. Did not think anything of it other than be annoyed . Next day blew up in a bad rash on both arms ant the back of my neck . Look like I had the Poxes . By now most the rash is gone now . Itched so bad wanted to take 40 grit to it . The trees are not the only things suffering from them .
Dave

That sounds horrible Dave! I've heard of this type of reaction to the hairs on the caterpillars. Nasty

There are a couple of robins around here with one or two caterpillars in their beak almost constantly. I want to give them a medal!

Never had a reaction to them thankfully... Actually this is the first I've ever heard of someone having one from GM. Some caterpillars can really screw you up though, so I don't suppose I should be shocked...

Our current invasion is Spotted Lantern Fly. Yet another imported bug without any real predator. These things eat everything. They're doing a number on the vineyards around us, and they eat hopps too, which are relatively pest resistant otherwise. (even the deer don't bother them) I find them mid field with no trees around, and then all the way back in the woods, far from any fields. They've got excellent camouflage, until they fly someplace, so you don't notice them until the bark of your tree looks odd, and you realize it's covered.
So far, no selective pesticides for them. You can poison their favorite tree (Tree of Heaven, also an invasive) if you have them, but if not, you're kinda stuck doing broad application. Most things that are effective against them also will do a number on bees. They did find one fungus that seems to attack them that's native to us in PA, so I'm sure the chemical folks are hard at work on that...

Can we please stop bringing newer, and crazier bugs here...

Hopefully they found all those insane murder hornet nests out west last year.

We have two young trees, about 2" trunk, a poplar and an oak. Both are completely full of these awful caterpillars, almost no leaves left. I noticed too late. Plus we have a watering ban.

Last year I took a shop vac to the young trees and over a month took off about 5 gallon of worms. The trees here were near complete defoliation but leafed out again and seem to be doing ok this year.

Spike

They're like zombies, just keep on coming.

Eugen,

A diluted soap won't even phase them at that size. Last year that size was eaten by a shop vac.

Spike

I noticed the caterpillar's showed up today. I found two in my pool filter basket and one crawling up the side of the pool. My wife just called me she found one on our back patio concrete. I quickly checked our trees and found none yet. Is there a spray I can apply to get rid of them if I see more? We seem to have an abundance of birds around this year. Robins, blackbirds, grackle's and starlings. I was hoping they would eat all of them if they found them.

Keep the Peace
Harry

Years ago I had caterpillars eating the needles off of my pine trees, they were a hairless variety, Malathion pesticide worked very well, many had dropped before I finished spraying the tree.


Gordy

Had an idea today, and got this
That tacky paper that flies stick to. Shook the tree again and applied some above the red tape.

Tanglefoot is the go to choice my father used for specific trees. We never tried to protect everything, obviously, but he did his fruit trees, and the lone decorative trees. Same idea as the fly paper. That stuff is horribly sticky, but it works...

Toolslinger wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:20 am Tanglefoot is the go to choice my father used for specific trees. We never tried to protect everything, obviously, but he did his fruit trees, and the lone decorative trees. Same idea as the fly paper. That stuff is horribly sticky, but it works...

That's a great tip, thanks! I had read about it in this great guide which I found yesterday:

Controlling gypsy moth caterpillars with barrier bands https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/division ... rBands.pdf

Which mentions Tanglefoot, Bug Gum Mastic Barrier, Roxo Bug Glue, and how to do it. I used what I had on hand, but I'll be better prepared for next year.

We have a very young cherry tree, one sour cherry tree, and the poplar and oak that I mentioned. There is a wooded area right next to us, I can't save those hundred of trees. But I sure would like to save these young ones that are more at risk and I have planted myself.

Gordy wrote: ↑Wed Jun 16, 2021 9:22 pm Years ago I had caterpillars eating the needles off of my pine trees, they were a hairless variety, Malathion pesticide worked very well, many had dropped before I finished spraying the tree.


Gordy

My father used an Ortho? pesticide with similar results. Not 100% sure on the brand as this was ~20 years ago. I do remember my father burning the caterpillar nests with charcoal grill lighter fluid. That was a lot of fun

I would think a propane weed burner would work really fine to burn the nests.

Keep the Peace
Harry

I've also used a propane torch duct taped to the end of an extendable tree trimmer pole. Start at the top of the nest or the caterpillars will fall out and get away.

I do remember my uncle running around the farm when I was a kid with a flaming torch on the end of a 20' or so pole to roast the webs. It certainly was the dramatic way to go...

I haven't tried it on the GM, but I have used the long range wasp spray on web-worm nests with good results. Again, not for large scale application, but here and there works well. Torch is cheaper to be sure...