What does the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) spray to control the caterpillars?
DCNR uses a bacterial insecticide called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). The commercial name is FORAY 76B. All formulations of Bt registered for gypsy moth control contain dormant bacterial spores along with crystals of a toxic protein that the bacteria produce. Gypsy moth caterpillars (larvae) must eat these spores and crystals for the Bt to work. Once eaten, the crystals dissolve in the gut of the caterpillar and cause paralysis of the digestive system. Cells in the gut wall then break down allowing dormant spores to invade the body cavity. In small larvae, the action of the crystal alone is usually fatal, but in larger larvae it is the later infection by the spores that causes death.
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