GIPSY MOTH AND BROWN-TAIL MOTH AND THEIR CONTROL. 3 



The methods of protecting orchards and the street, park, and orna- 

 mental trees in cities and towns are set forth on the following pages, 

 and these methods have been adopted as a result of many extensive 

 experiments. A proper system of orchard management can be 

 adopted which will enable the owner of infested trees to protect them 

 fully Avithout very much expense additional to that required for the 

 control of the other injurious orchard insects. The expense of caring 

 for infested city or park trees is somewhat greater than in the case 

 of infested orchards, but practical methods can be adopted which will 

 not render the cost prohibitive. 



The control of these insects in forests is extremely difficult, owing 

 to the small amount of money that any owner can afford to expend 

 in preventing injury to his woodlands. This being so it is usually 

 more satisfactory to have the woodland examined by an expert 

 familiar with the insects and the best measures to be used for their 

 control in order that suggestions for treatment may be made which 

 Avill be applicable to the conditions in each particular case. Such in- 

 formation can usually be obtained from the State or local officials 

 engaged in gipsy moth and brown-tail moth work, and so far as 

 possible this office will cooperate with owners and giA 7 e practical 

 advice and suggestions as to the management of their infested 

 premises. 



THE GIPSY MOTH. 



LIFE HISTORY. 



(Fig. 2.) 



The eggs. The female gipsy moth deposits a cluster containing 

 400 eggs or more, Avhich she covers with buff-colored hair. Most of 

 ' the egg clusters are laid during the month of July and hatch about 

 the time the leaves begin to appear the following spring. They are- 

 deposited on the underside of branches of trees, on tree trunks, under 

 loose bark, or in cavities in the trunks or branches, and are sometimes 

 placed on stones or rubbish and in a variety of situations where they 

 are concealed from vieAV. As the female moth does not fly, egg 

 dusters are seldom found far from the food plant upon Avhich the 

 caterpillars developed. 



The larvce. The newly-hatched larvae feed on the opening leaves, 

 making small perforations. They groAv rapidly and become full fed 

 early in July. During this period they molt five or six times, and as 

 they increase in size a larger proportion of the foliage is eaten, so 

 that if the infestation is severe, trees may be completely stripped of 

 foliage before the end of June. 



The pi<i>\ When full grown the caterpillars shed their skin and 

 transform to pupae, which are chestnut brown in color and pro- 

 vided with tufts of yelloAv hairs. They remain in this dormant stage 

 Tor about 10 days, after Avhich the adult insects emerge. 



