When you hear the word "gypsy", a busy traveler may come to mind, and the gypsy moth fits that picture. The ability to travel is a key characteristic of the gypsy moth and explains how the infestation was able to spread from Massachusetts to Michigan. The gypsy moth is found in every county in the Lower Peninsula and in areas of the Upper Peninsula. While there is encouraging news that some areas are showing a decline in numbers and damage, other areas of Michigan have yet to experience infestations in the 1990s
The spread of the gypsy moth occurs when egg masses are laid on vehicles or outdoor items which are later moved, in the caterpillar stages by the wind and as adult moths. The exact source of Michigan's first gypsy moths likely never will be known, but they could have come from egg masses brought by campers returning from the northeast United States. In addition, the spread in Michigan can in part be attributed to the young gypsy moth caterpillar's ability to suspend on a strand of silk and be carried by the wind, sometimes for several miles.
Though the female moth can't fly, the male is a strong daytime flyer and can fly long distances. The males also have a keen ability to detect and follow the scent of a female with their antennae.
Michigan's greatest lure to the gypsy moth is its vast forest resources; hundreds of thousands of acres of the larva's favorite diet. The list of favorite foods is led by oak and poplar trees. Michigan abounds with these and other susceptible trees, including birch, willow, crabapple and maple
Gypsy moths have been on the East Coast of the United States for more than 100 years and have been in Michigan for nearly 50 years. In the early 1950s, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) became involved in what has been a continuing effort to control the insect. During the 1950s and the 1960s, 7it appeared that the gypsy moth had been eliminated after monitoring and targeted spray programs.
Then, in the 1970s, gypsy moth traps baited with new attractant chemicals proved that the insect was thriving in Michigan. To combat the insect, the MDA has developed a suppression program to slow the gypsy moth spread and lessen defoliation damage for homeowners in Michigan.
In the 1980s, the defoliated acres contined to grow and the gypsy moth began to be noticed as a pest that deserved extra attention. Besides the inconvenience and lack of shade from having trees defoliated in early summer, there were negative effects on tourism, forest products, Christmas tree sales, and other plants and wildlife.
In 1992 the gypsy moth was responsible for the largest total area of defoliation in Michigan history. The 1990s also began with marked increases in tree mortality attributed in part to the gypsy moth. Increases in acreage of forested public recreation lands sprayed to limit nuisance problems and a rise in demand for forest management and gypsy moth suppression information also occured
Besides surveying, monitoring, trapping and spraying, there have been natural enemies introduced and emphasis put on education to help people identify problem areas and make good decisions on ways to deal with the gypsy moth.