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Media contact:
Misti Preston
Phone: (573) 751-8596
Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

For Immediate Release: July 25, 2006

MDA Officials Trapping Gypsy Moth Across Missouri

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – Gypsy moth trappers have successfully completed the first phase of the annual gypsy moth survey in Missouri. Officials with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Department of Conservation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Army and the Missouri National Guard have finished setting close to 8,000 of the triangular pheromone traps on trees throughout the state. Officials began checking the traps on July 5, and will continue to monitor them throughout the remainder of July.

“The gypsy moth is of particular concern to agriculture and conservation officials,” said Mike Brown, state entomologist with MDA. “The insect has a voracious appetite for tree leaves and can strip and weaken trees, especially the oak trees that are so prevalent in Missouri.”

With few natural enemies, an established gypsy moth population is nearly impossible to eradicate, so prevention is critical, Brown said. St. Louis and southwest Missouri continue to be of concern and will be trapped heavily because of the volume of people traveling to those areas, the abundance of suitable hosts and a past infestation in Arkansas. In addition, intensive trapping will be conducted in areas with the highest risk for infestation, including forests, tourist areas, state parks and locations where moths have been found before.

“The traps are checked periodically for signs of gypsy moth populations,” Brown said. “What we find in the traps will let us know whether we have a problem that requires immediate attention, or whether we’re in good shape for another year.”

Last year, 10 moths were taken from 10 traps, down from 18 moths found in 2004. Single moths were captured from each of the following counties: Camden, Clay, Crawford, Franklin, Greene, and Ste. Genevieve, while two moths were taken in both Pettis and Jackson counties. Though no moths were taken in St. Louis or St. Louis County in 2005, it has been determined that a bad batch of pheromone was the cause. Some positive traps have already been reported in this year’s survey, though final results won’t be available until early this fall when all traps are removed from the survey area.

“Though reported catches the last several years are promising, Missouri still needs to be vigilant,” Brown said. “With neighboring states like Wisconsin, Michigan and northern Illinois still battling infestations, Missouri could potentially face similar problems in the coming years.”

Gypsy moths were first introduced into the United States in 1869 near Boston to crossbreed with silkworms. Since that time, the gypsy moth has been slowly moving west to Michigan, Wisconsin and other portions of the northeastern United States, where sizable infestations have caused severe tree damage and become nuisances to area residents.

“We’ve seen firsthand the problems gypsy moths have caused in nearby states, so we know that prevention and public education are our best weapons in the fight to keep the gypsy moth out of Missouri,” Brown said. He also cited the following tips individuals can follow to prevent the spread of the gypsy moth:

  • Check vehicles, equipment and other belongings for egg masses when returning from out-of-state trips, especially to areas known to have gypsy moth infestations such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. The female gypsy moth has a tremendous reproductive capability and will attach egg masses containing 100 to 1,000 eggs to almost anything, including lawn chairs, barbecue grills, house trailers, campers and cars. In fact, most of the moths found in Missouri were probably spread by attaching themselves to traveling vehicles.
     
  • Notify MDA before importing any wood or nursery products, so inspectors can monitor moth movement between states.
     
  • Don’t tamper with traps you might come across when visiting Missouri’s forests, parks or other wooded areas.
     
  • Report any evidence of gypsy moth egg masses, pupae or moths to your local conservation office or call MDA’s Plant Industries Division, at (573) 751-5505.

To learn more about the gypsy moth, check out MDC’s informational video at your local public library or at the department’s field offices and nature centers. For more information, log on to the MDA Website at www.mda.mo.gov, or contact Mike Brown at (573) 751-5507.

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