Though they most often feed on oak trees, they can also be found on:
- Spruces
- Alders
- Witch hazel
- Pines
- Aspens
- Willows
- Tamarack, also known as Larch
- Basswood
- Hemlock
- Birches
- Hawthorn
- Apples
These caterpillars cause harm by total stripping a tree of its leaves, or defoiling a tree. Deciduous trees tend to be hardier, it usually takes more than one year of defoliation for them to die. However, a coniferous, or evergreen tree, will not likely survive long without needles.
How to Manage Gypsy Moth Infestations
- Scrape the masses into a sealed container or bag for disposal. Removing egg masses in your backyard is simple. It’s just a matter of manually removing the masses.
- It’s also a good idea to get rid of places where the eggs could be hiding like piles of wood or dead branches.
- Another method is to wrap your tree in burlap. Larvae move down the tree during the day to hide at the base, so any existing larvae on the tree will get stuck in the burlap, and you can scrape them into a bucket of soapy water, which will kill them.
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