Knowledgebase
Caterpillar gypsy moth #873078
Asked June 14, 2024, 9:34 AM EDT
Marquette County Michigan
Expert Response
Here is a calendar showing what yo do during the life cycle of spongy moth, Lymantria dispar (formerly gypsy moth):
Calendar month to month spongy moth management
Spongy moth Website for Michigan
https://www.canr.msu.edu/ipm/Invasive_species/gypsy-moth/
Right now you can destroy egg masses as you find them. If you have evergreens with spongy moth, consider having an arborist spray them to minimize feeding on the needles. Deciduous, healthy trees can handle the defoliation; but they can be sprayed by an arborist, too. Keep all your trees watered summer through fall during droughty times.
If you are seeing desiccated, “v-shaped” dead caterpillars hanging on trunks, etc. leave them in place. They have been killed by a beneficial fungus.
Many areas in Michigan have high populations of spongy moth, hopefully the population will soon “crash”(as it regularly does) and next year may not be a problem.
