Slowing the Spread of Gypsy Moth

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Slowing the Spread of Gypsy Moth
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Meeting Agenda
Biology
Damage
Survey
Treatment Options
Proposal
Questions and Comments
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Misconceptions of Gypsy Moth
Fall Webworm
Tent Caterpillar
Bagworm
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Biology
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Life Cycle
Egg mass
Caterpillar (Larva)
Pupae
Adults
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Egg Masses
Present August April
Larva hatch in late April
Each egg mass contains
500 1000 eggs
USDA FS
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Caterpillars

• Begin hatching in late April.

• Immediately move to the tree canopy to feed on
  young leaves.

A recently hatched caterpillar
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When crowded, tiny caterpillars produce silk
threads and ride them on the breeze to colonize
other trees. This is called ballooning.
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Caterpillars continued
Caterpillars feed from late April through June.
Late instar Caterpillars have 5 pairs of blue
dots followed by 6 pairs of red dots on their
backs.
Older caterpillars
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Pupae
June - July
During the last weeks of June, larvae stop
feeding and change into pupae.
USDA FS
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Adults
Female
Male
USDA FS
Adult males emerge before females in early July
the flightless females emerge a few days later
and mating takes place.
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Females depositing egg masses
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Damage
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Reasons To Be Concerned About GM

• Negative impact on health of people,
  plants, and the environment
• Spreads easily (naturally and artificially)
  Populations increase quickly
• Caterpillars feed on over 500 types of plants

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GM caterpillars feed on over 500 plants!
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Dangers of repeated defoliation

• Reduces ability of trees to produce and store
  food.

• Trees decline become susceptible to disease and
  other insect pests.

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Long Term Damage to Forests

• Reduces value for
  recreation and timber

• Increases fire threat

• Changes composition of forest tree species

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A Threat To Wildlife

• Food changes fewer acorns more berries

• Birds nests are exposed to
  predation and parasitism

• Increase exposure of wildlife to predators and
  parasites

Mike Soroka
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Impact on Soil
An open canopy exposes soil to sun and rain

• Soil temperatures increase

• Reduces rates of tree seed germination

• Soil erodes more readily / valuable nutrients
• lost

• Leaf litter reduced

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Effect on Water

• Aquatic species diversity is reduced

• Increases nutrient level as it
• decreases oxygen level

• Soil erosion increases turbidity (water clarity)

• Increased temperature

• Increases levels of organic matter

Reine Wonite
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
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Urban Landscapes

• Lowers property value

• Aesthetic damage

• Shade reduced

• Noise levels increase

• Homeowners are liable for
• Fallen limbs
• Tree removal costs
• Replacement costs

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Impact of Caterpillars to Humans
Gypsy moth caterpillars
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Larval hair may cause allergic reactions.
ARS USDA
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Caterpillars and their waste products fall from
the trees, creating an unpleasant mess.
They crawl, they smell, they poop
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Surveys
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Surveys for Gypsy Moths
Trap catches provide information about..

• Where gypsy moths are

• Effectiveness of previous treatments

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Gypsy Moth Traps
Detect and monitor adult male moths
Pheromone bait
Jim athert
VT
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Egg Mass Survey
Female gypsy moths hide their eggs
anywhere...
WDA
Vince Burkle, IDNR
Purdue University
WDA
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Treatment Options
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Gypsy Moth Population Zone
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Indiana participates in the Slow the Spread
program
The Slow the Spread (STS) Project is a large
project managed by the US Forest Service.
Several administrative agencies at both state and
federal levels participate, including agencies
from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North
Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Wisconsin.
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Gypsy moth will never be totally eradicated in
Indiana but we can (and do) manage the rate at
which it moves through the state.
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Why Slow the Spread of GM?

• Allows natural enemies/pathogens to establish
• Conserves natural resources
• New technologies will become available for better
  control

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Natural Enemies of Gypsy Moth
Predators
Parasitoids
Pathogens
Cliff Sadof, Purdue
Dave Sheltar
USDA
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When Are Treatments for Gypsy Moth Appropriate?
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Considerations

• Type of host plant
• Distance from generally infested area
• Potential ecological threat to area

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Distance from generally infested area

• Counties in Red Quarantined for Gypsy Moth
• Numerous host plants in Hoosier National Forest
• Potential for rapid population increase and
  negative ecological impact on native species

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Treatment Options
Appropriate for DNR
Appropriate for Public
1) Take no action
1) Take no action
2) Mechanical treatments
- Mass trapping
- Burlap banding - Spraying egg
masses
2) Mechanical treatments
- Burlap banding - Spraying egg masses

• Application of Chemical Treatments

3) Applications of Biological treatments
- Several available
- Btk (aerial or ground sprays)

- Pheromone
4) Applications of Biological
treatments
- Btk (ground sprays)
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Treatment Decision Process
1. Mass Trapping

- Few moths caught in small area - No other
catch history 2. Btk (aerially or ground
applied) - Moth catch indicates population
- Egg masses detected - A low level
population present 3. Mating Disruption (MD)
with pheromone flakes (aerially applied) -
Moth catch indicates population - Very low
level population present
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Proposals
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Potential Treatment Alternatives

• - No action
• - Btk only
• - Btk only, except wilderness
• - Mating disruption only
• - Mating disruption only, except wilderness
• - Btk and Mating disruption
• - Btk and Mating disruption, except
  wilderness

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Wilderness Considerations

• Three alternatives will not treat the Charles C.
  Deam Wilderness
• Wilderness managed for naturalness
• What affects will not treating have on spread of
  Gypsy Moth?
• What affects are there to wilderness character?

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Wilderness Considerations

• Wilderness Act allows for control of insects and
  disease,
• Section 4 (d)(1).such measures can be taken as
  may be necessary in the control of fire, insects,
  and disease

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Wilderness Considerations

• Forest Service policy allows for control of
  insects and disease,
• FSM2324.04b. The Regional Forester can approve
  insect and disease control projects within
  wilderness if
• There is an immediate threat of unacceptable
  damage to resources outside the wilderness
  boundary
• The threat cannot reasonable be abated by control
  actions taken outside the wilderness boundary

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Wilderness Considerations

• Forest Service policy allows for control of
  insects and disease,
• FSM2324.11. Control insect and plant disease
  epidemics that threatens adjacent lands or
  resources.
• Hoosier National Forest LRMP allows for control
  of insects and disease,
• MA 5.1 direction. Use pesticides as necessary to
  prevent the loss of significant aspects of the
  wilderness, or to prevent significant losses to
  resource values on private or public lands
  bordering the wilderness.

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Mating Disruption with pheromone flakes

• Uses female sex pheromone to disrupt mating

• Attracts only male Gypsy Moth

• Effective on very low level populations

• Slow release from plastic flakes

Zach Smith
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Mating Disruption
Does not kill living organism, Reduces future
population by reducing chance of mating
Pheromone Flakes Confuse Males, Can Find Mate
Female Cannot Fly Release sent to Attract male
Male Flies to find Female
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Security Issues

• Material is secured before, during, and after
  flight

• The plane itself is secured

• The DNR will have personnel monitoring from the
  ground

• We will have personnel monitoring the operation
  from the airport

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Please send comments to

• Judi Perez
• Hoosier National Forest
• 811 Constitutional Avenue
• Bedford, IN 47421
• Or at japerez_at_fs.fed.us
• Deadline for comment ??

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Questions