Why is the Department involved in gypsy moth control programs?
The gypsy moth, in its caterpillar stage, is the most destructive hardwood defoliator ever to occur in New Jersey. Each year, since 1970, gypsy moth caterpillars have caused varying degrees of defoliation (leaf loss) between 1,910 – 800,000 acres of forest land. Study plots established in repeatedly defoliated forests show oak tree mortality varying between 15 to 65 percent. Q: How does the control program work? A: Municipalities with heavy infestations of gypsy moths, as delineated by a summer aerial defoliation survey, are contacted in writing by the Department in early fall, and asked if they wish to have a gypsy moth egg mass count. This is done to determine if the infestation will continue and what areas qualify for the spray program. If the residential or recreational forest has as average of more than 500 egg masses per acre, and is at least 50acres in size it may qualify for participation in the cooperative gypsy moth suppression program. Municipal participation in the aerial s
