THE GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



As far back as authentic records exist, the gypsy moth has been a 

 destructive insect pest in Europe ; at times increasing enormously 

 and disastrously, then for other periods decreasing, only to increase 

 again and renew its extensive ravages. At the present time it is 

 most numerous and destructive in southern Russia. 



Up to the year 1868 the gypsy moth was not known to exist any- 

 where within the western hemisphere. In that year the insect was 

 brought from Europe by an experimenter to Medford, Mass. Soon 

 escaping, it spread into many cities and towns of eastern Massa- 

 chusetts, and, increasing enormously, became in 1890 so serious a 

 pest that the Commonwealth began exterminative work against it. 

 This was continued for ten years. By 1900 the'State work had so 

 reduced the moth that it was doing little or no serious damage, 

 and had, indeed, ceased to be generally noticed, having been ex- 

 terminated in many places. The Commonwealth then abandoned 

 its operations against the insect ; whereupon it rapidly gained head- 

 way, and soon became again a formidable menace. To-day, in 

 many localities, the gypsy moth occurs in enormous numbers, as 

 it did in 1890, but it is found over a much larger territory than it 

 occupied at that time. 



The Damage caused by the Gypsy Moth. 



The gypsy moth caterpillar will attack all fruit, shade and wood- 



land trees. It shows a preference for the apple, white oak, red oak, 



willow and elm. It will devour on occasion nearly every useful 



grass, plant, flower, shrub, vine, bush, garden or field crop that 



grows in Massachusetts. 



The caterpillar kills both deciduous and coniferous trees. Wood- 

 lands assailed by it in formidable numbers are stripped bare, as in 

 winter, and many trees are killed. While several consecutive 

 strippings are usually necessary to cause the death of a healthy 

 deciduous tree, one thorough stripping will kill the white pine and 

 other coniferous trees. Where the gypsy moth abounds in resi- 

 dential districts, it not only eats nearly everything green, but it 

 swarms, in caterpillar form, upon houses, walks and verandas and 

 often enters dwellings. In residential districts most heavily in- 

 fested by the moth real estate tends to rapid depreciation, so that 

 it sometimes becomes a matter of difficulty to rent or sell property. 



