STEVENS POINT, Wis. -- It might have been a good idea gone wrong. But when gypsy moths were introduced to the American continent in 1869, few could anticipate the damage they would cause as they spread westward.
The ravenous caterpillars wiped out landscapes in the eastern part of the country as they devoured everything in their paths. They eat leaves of up to 500 species of trees and shrubs, and hungry caterpillars will seek out anything green when their regular food source is stripped bare.
That sounds like something out of a science-fiction movie. But it is no joke, especially in Wisconsin, a state in which natural resources are one of our greatest assets. Besides leaving an ugly scene, the defoliation wrought by gypsy moths can weaken trees and even lead to their death.
Fortunately, suppression efforts helped slow the spread of gypsy moths and caterpillars. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in the past has sprayed a bacterial or viral insecticide that kills the caterpillars. In specific areas where infestation can't be controlled by natural predators, small planes were used to spread the insecticide. Traps also are used to gauge the population to determine whether spraying will be needed again.
More than half the state, roughly divided down the middle, is under quarantine for the gypsy moths, meaning it is illegal to move wood out of quarantined counties.
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Spraying is finished for this season. DATCP workers now are putting up traps to catch male moths to determine their population.
Homeowners can do their part by watching for the caterpillars and destroying egg masses laid by female moths on trees, siding or even roof overhangs. Gypsy moths have distinctive markings: Five pairs of blue dots followed by six pairs of red dots down their backs.
It would be wonderful if the spread could be halted here. Unfortunately, the more realistic -- and still very important -- goal is to slow the spread. Suppression and public education efforts have gone a long way to help eliminate gypsy moths. While it's not likely we'll be able to get all of them, efforts have shown that at least we don't have to suffer the devastation from caterpillars eating everything green in their path. Continued efforts by DATCP and homeowners have and will make a difference.
