The Gypsy Moth caterpillar, and related species, reproduce at phenomenal rates and one seasons worth of the caterpillar can completely defoliate the trees in an area. Before BT spraying, there was a summer when the trees in our yard were completely defoliated and it literally looked like late autumn in August. We lost several trees around our yard that year.
They are nasty, disgusting little critters that form huge tent cocoons with hundreds of caterpillars in them and they have very few natural predators. We used to pour lighter fluid on the tent cocoons and set them ablaze. Or we would put cherry bombs in then and blow them up. The history is that the species was brought over from Europe in attempt to create a silk worm hybrid that could survive here in the US. They escaped their breeders (easily) and they found a perfect home in the Northeastern US - delicious hardwood deciduous trees and no predator in sight. They are an invasive species and many areas spray for them as they can destroy forests.[/QUOTE
Wow Matt that sounds awful! Visions of burned up caterpillars and exploded cocoons sound like a real good horror movie scene! I didn't realize how bad this could get. Sounds like more fodder for the "tolerate/mitigate" the spray get rid of these monsters option!
Thanks for the info... I continue to be amazed on this site.
Chris