Gypsy Moth Infestation
 

You may have read or seen footage of the rodent problem in Australia. Closer to home is the cicada infestation in eastern North America. But, does anyone here know about the Gypsy Moth caterpillar infestation that is decimating thousands of trees and doing property damage as well as affecting the public's health in my area?

I lose about half of my satellite TV channels every spring due to leaves blocking the signal. This year that lasted about a week and then cleared up. Why? Because them dang caterpillars have eaten all the Oak leaves, most of the evergreens and a good portion of everything else. Every morning and again in the evening I have to blow off the walkways, driveway of all their litter. Bits of bark, shards of leaves and billions of tiny nodules of their poop!
If that's not bad enough the little hairs they shed are like fine needles that cause a terrible, itchy rash. I now have it over all the exposed parts of my body, (and some areas that are never exposed).
Read this:


https://www.quintenews.com/2021/06/0...be-dealt-with/

Yep, I recall when I lived in CT, every year Gypsy Moths would attack. I had about a 1/4 acre forest in my back property and a heavily forested lot with a cabin on a lake about 10 miles from where I lived. Every year I would rent a commercial sprayer and give them a shot of Bacillus thuringiensis to chew on. If that didn't slow them down enough, I'd blast them with one of my old insecticide standbys (not mentioned because it wasn't registered for that use).

Yep, on a quiet night down at the lake, you could hear them chomping away - :mad0259:

Sounds aweful.

Gypsy moth infestation? Rodent infestation? Cicada infestation?

If I'm not mistaken, these creatures have been living and thriving on this planet a whole lot longer than we have been.

Why don't we talk about the human infestation?

I don't know about their genealogy but not in their current form they haven't. Humans as a species have been around just as long.

Humans have been in N.A. far longer than gypsy moths.

Granted, a human brought gypsy moths here in the first place.

OK, shall we start with the outbreak in West Virginia?

:bellyroll:

:scared0016:

Sure, and let's add the outbreak from Seattle.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4BEzWsbqs4A

Does Bt control the WV and Seattle species?

The feral Karens keep them mostly well reminded of their place.

:laughabove:

Well no, but oxycodone keeps the WV species under control and methamphetamine is effective against the Seattle species - :thumbsup:

The question is if one of the, ahem, fine gentlemen in the WV photo above divorces his wife, do they remain cousins?

No but he is still her father and brother.