Battling Gypsy Moths - Organically - Part 2


This is the second part of a series on controlling gypsy moths organically. To visit the first part, click here. It includes a description of them, a summary of their life-cycle, and control methods for early spring and summer.

August through December
Egg Mass Scraping
Some experts on the subject say that this is a waste of time. In heavy infestations, many egg masses are out of reach and many others will be missed. However, each egg-mass can turn into 500 caterpillars, so each one you get is a step in the right direction.

Start egg-mass collection once the leaves have fallen in autumn. Use a butterknife as your scraper, and arm yourself with a bucket of bleachy water.

Use a dust-mask and gloves. Many people are irritated by gypsy moth fuzz, which is present in almost all life-stages.

Egg masses will appear firm and beige in colour in early-autumn. Those from previous years are sun-bleached and limp.

First, search trees, starting at the bottom, and systematically move upwards.

Next, move onto objects in your yard. Woodpiles, under shingles, on fences, and other sheltered dry areas are good places to look.

Be sure to check your car as well. Distribution by holidayers is the main reason for the gypsy moth's rampant spread. People going on RV trips must check their motorhomes and trailers before setting out on their vacations.

The Gypsy Moth-Resistant Garden

As with many garden problems, a holistic approach to control is the only way to truly battle the dilema. Changing your garden from an infested mess into a natural, working place can take some time, but all the answers are based on common sense.

Plant Choices

You will notice that gypsy moths prefer the following trees.

  • Birch
  • Alder
  • Beech
  • Apples, pears, plums, cherries
  • Pine
  • Willow (except bay-leaved)

By eliminating these trees, you have won half the battle.

Here is a list of trees and shrubs and vines which gypsy moths do not like...

  • Dogwood
  • Arrowwood
  • Elder
  • Pepperbush
  • Ash (both Fraxinus and Sorbus
  • Grapes
  • Persimmon
  • Azaleas
  • Holly
  • Privet
  • Honeysuckle
  • Raspberries and Blackberries
  • Juniper
  • Sycamore
  • Black Walnut
  • Locust (Black locust and honey locust)
  • Tulip tree
  • Butternut
  • Mountain laurel
  • Winterberry
  • Catalpa
  • Mulberry
  • Viburnum
  • Cedar

As you can see, there is a lot of choice here. Print out this list and bring it to the nursery when selecting new plants for your garden. All perennials and annuals are fine.

Keep your trees healthy by watering, fertilizing and pruning. An excellent organic fertilizer for shade trees can be made by mixing one part dolomite lime, two parts rock phosphate, three parts granite dust, three parts cottonseed meal and one yard of compost. Top dress the area around your tree with this mix every few years. Most of the roots are not near the trunk but rather under the branching canopy of the tree. Fertilizer will have the biggest impact away from the truck, around the perimeter of the farthest branches outwards.

The copyright of the article Battling Gypsy Moths - Organically - Part 2 in Perennials is owned by Jojo Sigurgeirson. Permission to republish Battling Gypsy Moths - Organically - Part 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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