![]() The tree owner should also weigh the cost of treatment against their value of the tree (economic, ecological, aesthetic etc). When considering treatment, tree owners should determine if the tree will see additional feeding and if there are other concerns that could affect the tree. Additional stressors, like drought, can cause tree decline or die before the third year. Deciduous trees, such as the oaks, are preferred by the Lymantria dispar. In most cases the trees are able to survive three consecutive years of severe defoliation. Tree owners may consider treatment options to reduce the impact to their trees. Bands should be placed before caterpillar hatch (usually late April) and make sure to remove bands after moths being pupation (usually late June/early July) to avoid any unnecessary damage to the tree. Several companies sell pre-made bands or the sticky materials specific for insect use, grease and petroleum-based products can be damaging to the tree and should be avoided. When using barrier bands, only use products safe for tree use. Caterpillars can still balloon onto trees and some will make it past the bands, but when used correctly and care is taken to avoid tree damage, they can decrease the number caterpillars accessing the foliage. Tree owners can also place sticky barrier bands around the tree trunk to reduce the number of caterpillars crawling upward into the tree canopy. There will be egg masses you are unable to reach or even see, so there will still be moths present but this can help decrease the number of caterpillars. Any visible egg masses can be removed in the winter and early spring- just gently scrape the egg masses off into soapy water. There are some actions tree owners can take on their own to help reduce the impact. ![]() If you are seeing multiple egg masses on a tree, it is likely you will have a large caterpillar population in the spring. ![]() Egg masses will most likely be found in trees but can be found on the sides of buildings, outdoor furniture, or even large rocks. The egg masses are tan in color and about an inch and a half long. Tree owners can also look for new, healthy egg masses. Additionally, trees that lost a lot of leaves last year are more stressed and susceptible to even more damage. If there was a large population last year with little caterpillar mortality and high adult survival, it is likely Lymantria dispar will be present again.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |