Gypsy Moths Are Destroying Forests as the Climate Dries

[ckf]

I haven't noticed any bare trees around here, but have seen several photos from southern New England with completely bare trees.

Drought has triggered an outbreak of the pests in the U.S. Northeast, destroying habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Much of New England has been slammed by a gypsy moth infestation that has denuded trees of leaves on some 150,000 acres in Massachusetts alone, forestry managers say.

The gypsy moth population exploded this spring across large swaths of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island after drought conditions impeded the spread of a fungus that usually keeps the number of gypsy moth caterpillars under control.

It was the second year in a row that a lack of springtime rain triggered an explosion of the voracious caterpillars, which can strip the leaves from trees with alarming efficiency.

“We were blown away by how far it has spread; it’s just everywhere,” said George Boettner, an invasive pest researcher at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “It’s the worst we’ve seen in decades.”

Caterpillar defoliation can have cascading effects on local ecosystems, Boettner said. Removing the forest canopy can make it too hot for nesting birds, which abandon their nests, and it eliminates habitat for insects that feed many bird species.

Exposed nests are also subject to infiltration by cowbirds, which, like cuckoos, lay their eggs in the nests of other species. When cowbird hatchlings emerge, they force the other chicks from the nest.

Gypsy moth caterpillars also devour oak pollen that produces acorns, an important food source for turkeys, deer, bears, and other animals.

Acorn shortages can eradicate large numbers of white-footed mice, which depend on the nuts to get through the winter. In springtime, the mice feed on gypsy moth caterpillars, helping to control their population.

“The moths are regulating their own predators,” Boettner said.

The last big gypsy moth outbreak was in 1981, when 3 million acres in Massachusetts and 15 million acres in New England were affected, he said.

Ken Gooch, forest health program director at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, said his agency completed aerial surveys of the state on Thursday and will have complete defoliation data in about a week.

“Last year there were 38,000 acres of gypsy moth damage, and my guess is that this year it’s close to 150,000 acres and could even be more,” Gooch said. Damage was found across Massachusetts, with Cape Cod and the north and south shores hit hardest.

Widespread defoliation has also been reported in northeastern Connecticut and much of Rhode Island, Gooch said.

By now, most of the caterpillars have entered the pupal stage, but widespread damage is already done.

“Two years of gypsy moth infestation have caused trees to weaken because of vast defoliation,” Gooch said. “The leaves can grow back the same year if the trees are healthy. But they are stressed out from not getting enough moisture. If this happens over three or four years, we’re going to see a lot of tree mortality.”

Much of Massachusetts is suffering from moderate to severe drought. It is difficult to determine whether the rainfall shortage is related to global warming, Gooch said, “but if you look at what’s happening out West, people are saying the drought is related to climate change.”

 

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Gypsy moths were introduced to Massachusetts in the 1860s by a French immigrant who wanted to crossbreed the moth with silkworms to create a species that would not be dependent on mulberry trees. The experiment failed, and the moths quickly spread, infesting much of the Northeast and Midwest.

In 1989, however, a fungus was introduced from Japan—possibly traveling on the shoes of Japanese researchers who came to Massachusetts—that proved highly lethal to the caterpillars.

“When it showed up, it changed the whole game,” Boettner said. “The fungus can kill 50 percent of caterpillars and 80 to 100 percent in high-density areas. We can go a very long time between outbreaks as long as there’s some rain in May and June.”

Little has been done in recent decades to eradicate gypsy moths because rainy springs have traditionally done the job.

The gypsy moth caterpillar is, however, susceptible to a certain virus.

“Labs are now producing the virus to use in aerial spraying on affected areas,” Boettner said. But the virus is expensive to make and not nearly as effective as the fungus, which releases spores that can travel over vast areas.

If drought hits again next spring, the virus may be the tree’s best defense.

“It’s a tough call to spend a lot of money to establish something like that or to just wait,” Boettner said. “All we really need is one good rain per week.”

[Rod]

These type of bugs cycle all the time

[ckf]

Here's a photo from today of some bare trees in Massachusetts.

[Rod]

We have tent caterpillars and army worms that cycle every few years. They so the same thing and strip the trees bare. 

[Capt.Storm]

cool looking fawker though.

 

[GGNHL]

My ol lady is in the society of American foresters and I read an article in one of their newsletters showing the trend of ice out dates on Moosehead lake in Maine for the past century. It's definitely getting earlier and earlier. Hard to deny the climate is warming even with a few record cold winters sprinkled in here and there. 

[SnowRider]

Doe Dumber and JT Meathead keep telling us the earth is cooling  

 

You side with those clowns Junior - think about it  Grow a pair Junior  

[GGNHL]

6 minutes ago, SnowRider said:

Doe Dumber and JT Meathead keep telling us the earth is cooling  

 

You side with those clowns Junior - think about it  Grow a pair Junior  

Stop being a retard for once in your life please.

 

I side with myself, youre the one picking teams here.

[jtssrx]

47 minutes ago, ckf said:

I haven't noticed any bare trees around here, but have seen several photos from southern New England with completely bare trees.

 

 

Gypsy moths were introduced here in Michigan by the DNR to kill something else. Of course they created other issues. I don't see them anymore here in Michigan. 

 

11 minutes ago, SnowRider said:

Doe Dumber and JT Meathead keep telling us the earth is cooling  

 

You side with those clowns Junior - think about it  Grow a pair Junior  

You really are clueless arn't you?? I have clearly maintained up until this year the climate remained flat. I have also always maintained man doesn't cause the warming. I also maintained that the earth has warned since the last ice age. 

 

Keep running around running your trap. I didn't think you could make yourself look any dumber but here you go you did it again. Cheers loser

[BOHICA]

Nothing like introducing an invasive species and then blaming  manmade global warming for the result of the invasive species.

[old indy]

Its not as bad as 1982 but its BAD. some areas are stripped clean.  the roads are brown with half chewed leaves and caterpillar shit. 

it sounds like its raining out when in the woods.       raining shit.

[ckf]

18 minutes ago, old indy said:

Its not as bad as 1982 but its BAD. some areas are stripped clean.  the roads are brown with half chewed leaves and caterpillar shit. 

it sounds like its raining out when in the woods.       raining shit.

Where are you located?

[Jimmy Snacks]

9 hours ago, GGNHL said:

Stop being a retard for once in your life please.

 

I side with myself, youre the one picking teams here.

Good luck with that one and Mr. Moral Compass doesn't understand the concept of being an individual....all D all the time for him.

[GGNHL]

3 minutes ago, Biggie Smails said:

Good luck with that one and Mr. Moral Compass doesn't understand the concept of being an individual....all D all the time for him.

 

Get off the fence and pick a side Smails!

 

 

 

[Jimmy Snacks]

1 minute ago, GGNHL said:

 

Get off the fence and pick a side Smails!

 

 

 

I know right....the funny thing is that Slope sounds like his hero George W Bush when he said "you're either with us or against us"......funny how that works.

[XCR1250]

We are having so much rain in this greater area this year that dozens of Highways and roads washed away and are closed, several folks have drowned in their cars. Check counties, Ashland, Iron, Sawyer, Douglas, Bayfield, Washburn and a few others.

[Momorider]

Climate is always changing like it always has, the biggest problem is idiot Leftards just noticed and are their typical irrational selves over this revelation  

[old indy]

9 hours ago, ckf said:

Where are you located?

I am in the little town of Upton. just west of Hopkinton MA.  Webster and Dudley and that area have been hit very hard. it looks like fall.

they are morphing now into moths and they are everywhere now too.  

 

As i mentioned it was much much worse in 82. homes were covered, you couldnt walk down your walk or driveway without smooshing a few under each step, they were everywhere.  by the end of june that year you could stand on one side of the lake , look across and it was bare as far as you could see.

once they finished up most all the leaves they turn to the pines which caused them to become sick or diseased and die off if im remembering correctly. i see they are doing the same in the hard hit areas.

Pretty nasty,,you DONT set a drink down un covered while outside.....

 

Edited July 13, 2016 by old indy

[racer254]

51 minutes ago, Momorider said:

Climate is always changing like it always has, the biggest problem is idiot Leftards just noticed and are their typical irrational selves over this revelation  

 

11 hours ago, GGNHL said:

Stop being a retard for once in your life please.

 

I side with myself, youre the one picking teams here.

 

2 hours ago, Biggie Smails said:

Good luck with that one and Mr. Moral Compass doesn't understand the concept of being an individual....all D all the time for him.

Don't say that too loud, you may hurt their feelings.

[Catalina]

10 hours ago, old indy said:

Its not as bad as 1982 but its BAD. some areas are stripped clean.  the roads are brown with half chewed leaves and caterpillar shit. 

it sounds like its raining out when in the woods.       raining shit.

I live south of Worcester, and I agree with this post. Bad in some areas, not so much in others. They cleaned an apple tree in my yard t the bones. Near my office, there are thousands of moths around right now, Oak trees seem to be their favorites. Some areas look like November. 

[Catalina]

BTW - I live in Mendon, work in Westboro. I think next year is going to be a lot worse. 

[old indy]

8 minutes ago, Catalina said:

BTW - I live in Mendon, work in Westboro. I think next year is going to be a lot worse. 

Have you driven out toward webster on 16?    awful.  i rode that way last night on the bike as it was getting dark, then over thru Purgatory chasm, i had to watch the corners as was slick from all the shit and leaf debris.  nasty

 

next year?, it could be. 

 

speakin of Webster, Indian Ranch          fri- cold train  sat- Third eye blind   then  sunday -  blues traveler 

Edited July 13, 2016 by old indy

[Catalina]

Yup. My daughter lives out that way, and for the most part it's worse there. 

Indian Ranch does get some great concerts. 

[old indy]

I just went too Milford and back on rt 140 and after really looking around i see its almost as bad here on the hopedale side of town as it is in webster now.   what is normally a VEry shady road is almost full sun. thankfiully they are changing over and the eating has slowed, not stopped yet, but much less shit on the lawn furniture daily than a couple weeks ago.

[Capt.Storm]

If you have a nice tree in your yard that you want to stay healthy -spray it with Sevin if it's not to big.