How does the Gypsy Moth spread?
The Gypsy Moths greatest ability to travel is as an egg mass. The female moth deposits the egg masses on trees, houses, outdoor equipment, cars, trucks, travel trailers, and campers. Very often the egg masses have traveled hundreds of miles before hatching and starting a new infestation in the spring in a different locality. Soon after hatching the tiny Gypsy Moth larvae have the ability to travel short distances. They instinctively move up the tree towards the top and tips of the branches. There they will go “ballooning”. This is where the young caterpillars suspend themselves on a silk thread. With very little body weight and long hairs to catch the wind, they float through the air, sometimes for miles before landing at a new location. What are the Gypsy Moth’s favorite trees? In Marinette County, the trees the Gypsy Moth caterpillar will attack are varied. The egg masses have been found on Maple, White Pine, Red Pine, Spruce, Balsam, Scots Pine, and even Cedar. Some of the oddest pl
