About the gypsy moth
It has been advancing into Ohio from Pennsylvania and Michigan over the past decade.
Native to Europe and Asia, the gypsy moth was brought into Massachusetts in 1869 by E. Leopold Trouvelot, a French artist and amateur entomologist, looking to develop a new strain of silkworm for silk production.
In Ohio, the first male moths were trapped in Astabula County in 1971.
Today, 51 counties in Ohio are under quarantine regulations.
Source: Ohio Department of Agriculture
OAKWOOD — The infestation of the gypsy moth, an invasive insect that kills trees such as oaks, is being slowed in the Dayton area.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture began aerial treatments on Wednesday, April 28, spraying an insecticide in Oakwood and Kettering using a single-engine airplane that flies just above the treetops.
“We have been successful with treatments in the area to keep the population under control,” said Kaleigh Frazier, a Department of Agriculture spokeswoman.
The department is spraying Foray (Btk), a naturally occurring bacterium found in the soil that interferes with the caterpillars’ feeding cycles.
These treatments are “not toxic to humans, pets, birds or fish,” Frazier said.
Given the correct weather conditions and development stage of the insect, Btk is “very effective,” said Amy Stone, an Ohio State University extension educator. “Right now is the ideal time,” she said.
In its caterpillar stage, the gypsy moth feeds on the leaves of more than 300 tree and shrub species and is especially fond of oak.
A healthy tree can usually withstand only two years of defoliation before it is permanently damaged or dies.
Montgomery, Greene, Clark and Butler counties are among the 20 southern Ohio counties scheduled to receive treatment.
Gypsy moths a nuisance
Gypsy moth populations can be difficult to eradicate, so state agricultural officials attempt to manage them in slow-the-spread areas such as Dayton to protect trees against defoliation and allow people to be outdoors during their peak season.
In their caterpillar stage, which usually starts in mid-April and lasts six weeks, gypsy moths feed on the leaves of trees and shrubs.
For people living in high gypsy moth population areas, enjoying the outdoors “can be almost impossible” because of both caterpillars and their excrement, known as “frass,” falling from trees, said Amy Stone, an Ohio State University extension educator.
“We’ve had people in high populations in northwest Ohio who actually need an umbrella to walk out to get their mail if they live in a wooded area, because leaf litter is falling, caterpillars are falling and frass is falling,” Stone said.
People also could have an allergic reaction, like a rash, if they come in contact with the hairs on the caterpillar’s body, Stone said.
The Dayton area doesn’t have a “total infestation” of gypsy moths, said Kaleigh Frazier, an Ohio Department of Agriculture spokeswoman.
Treatments are administered using an airplane that flies just above tree tops.
Many local residents were notified about Wednesday’s spraying “through our Code Red message alert left on phones,” said Officer Michael Burke of the Kettering Police Department.
“There will be a second follow-up spraying in five to seven more days,” he said.
High humidity, low temperature and minimal wind are crucial for a successful application, according to the Department of Agriculture. The treatment will move north as weather permits.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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