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The 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inch black hairy caterpillars can be easily identified by the red and blue spots which mark their backs. The caterpillars enter their destructive munching phase when they hatch in late April and early May. They will eat constantly, growing until they pupate into cocoons in June and early July.
While wrapped in their small cocoons. attached to trees, stones, logs buildings or other solid bases, the caterpillars are protected from harmful chemicals or predators.
The adult moths emerge from their cocoons 10 to 14 days after they enter their pupal cases. The white females, and males with darkerbrown forewings, then mate. The egg masses then produced are yellowish tan in color and have a velvet texture. Destruction of the masses, which contain up to 1,000 eggs each, is difficult.
The egg masses attach to the same surfaces as the cocoons, but stay for the winter. If the surfaces move, like cars, Christmas trees or firewood, the egg cases go along for the ride, perhaps spreading the moths into yet another area.
“You can scrape the egg masses off the surface and put them in gas (to kill them), but that’s pretty hard when you are talking about a 30-foot tree." He repeated the expert wisdom, that the best time to kill the destructive pests is when they are in their larval stage.
"If you get the timing right, you can get the population under control by destroying the egg masses laid last year,” Mr. Williams explained, noting that the larvae are beginning to emerge from the egg masses at this time of year.
Mr. Williams said that aerial spraying of affected areas has been proven to be the most effective means of controlling the gypsy moth in its caterpillar stage.
The two pesticides commonly used, Dimilin (the trade name of diflubenzuron) and Bacillus thuringiensis (known as Bt). Dimilin, which is between 80 and 90 percent effective when applied correctly, is the insecticide of choice in Virginia, according to William Ravlin, an entomologist with the Extension Serv
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