How do gypsy moths spread?
A. As tiny caterpillars, they can be windblown over a number of miles. Long distance spread usually occurs, however, through the unknowing help of man. Gypsy moths attach their egg masses to anything stationary and, if not found, will go right along with nursery stock, lumber and timber shipments, stone and quarry products, and mobile homes. Recreational vehicles (campers, motor homes, truck-mounted units, etc.) are also major culprits in spreading the insect to gypsy moth-free areas. Such vehicles pick up caterpillars or egg masses while parked in the infested woodlands, then carry them from campground to campground across the nation. Moths have been found on recreational vehicles or in campgrounds as far from the infested Northeast as Wisconsin, Washington, Iowa, California, Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri. Q. What is the pest’s life cycle? A. Caterpillars hatch about the first of May — depending on the area — and when full grown have double rows of red and blue dots down their back
