Pomona College Journal op Entomology 847 



AN ATTEMPT TO (lONTROl. AN OUTBREAK OF A WELL-KNOWN 



PEST* 



GEOROK W. ATWOOD 

 ALBANY, NEW YORK 



Attention was called to the presence of a few eatcrpillars of the gipsy 

 moth late this season, just at the time when they were crawling and before 

 pupating. An examination of the i)remises was immediately made in the 

 residence section where the outbreak occurred. The area involved was about 

 200 by 300 feet. Caterpillans were found on the trunks of old apple trees, on 

 fences and in sheds and clii<;ken coops to the number of about 1,000. The back 

 yard fences, chicken coops, brush and all litter were gathered and burned. 

 The infested trees were allowed to stand until |)upation ceased. Then they 

 were cut to the ground, sawed into short lengths saturated with kerosene and 

 burned. Many of the trees were hollow and within were found moths and 

 pupaj of last year and quite large numbers of fresh i)up!i>. The location was 

 in the back yard section of residences in the midst of much disorder. The 

 api)le trees were old ones, some of them five to seven feet in circumference. 

 Egg masses were found in every conceivable place — under old pieces of carpet, 

 under boards lying on the ground, in the cornices of some of llie residences 

 and elsewhere. At the first discovery, all trees, including the street trees 

 within a radius of 600 to 800 feet, were ])urlapped with burlap about eight to 

 ten inches wide, folded and tied tightly about tlie trunks. The.se were exam- 

 ined carefully during the period that the caterpillars were moving, and daily 

 some caterpillars were found, but only close to the center of infestation. About 

 forty large trees were burned, as were also twenty-five cords of stove wood 

 in which the insect had taken refuge. Gardens, fences and lawns, in addition 

 to kindling wood, were destroyed and the loss to the owners of the property 

 from the shade of the large trees was considerable; the intention was to 

 completely eradicate the colony. Indications are that perhaps not more than 

 a single mass of eggs started the infestation about three summers previous. 

 Close attention was given to every conceivable detail and it may be interesting 

 to know that some of the residents in the hou.ses had recently moved to other 

 parts. Property taken from the yards of the infested area was looked up 

 and in one case a boy's sled was found under which were two or three egg 

 masses. 



This outbreak will be kept very closely under the care of competent 

 inspectors and as soon as the frost destroys vegetation thorough scouting will 

 be resorted to in the search for egg masses of the gipsy moth. It would .seem 

 almost too much to hope that the last insect has been found and destroyed but 

 it is believed that the work was done so thoroughly that success has attended 

 the efforts. 



*ln spite of the enormous sums which have been expended and are being 

 provided to keep it in check, the gipsy moth goes on extending its territory. 



