THE GYPSY MOTH. 99 



in winter, and many trees are killed. , "While several con- 

 secutive strippino-s are usually necessary to cause the death 

 of a healthy deciduous tree, one thorough stripping will kill 

 the white pine and other coniferous trees." Figure 10 

 shows the effect of a single stripping upon pine and spruce 

 at Arlington, Mass., in 1904, the photo being taken by the 

 writer in March, 1905. These trees were totally dead and 

 fit only for firewood. Throughout acres of woodland in the 

 worst infested district in IMassachusetts the pines, spruces 

 and hemlocks have been almost entirely destroyed and the 

 piles of cordwood attest the dcA^astation wrought by the 

 gypsy moth caterpillar. "Where the gypsy moth abounds 

 in residence 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 infested by the moth real estate tends 

 to rapid depreciation, so that it sometimes becomes a matter 

 of difficulty to rent or sell property. ' ' Such instances now 

 exist, as shown to the writer. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



''While the gypsy moth is a serious enemy of trees, it 

 has its own foes in the shape of predaceous insects, para- 

 sites and birds. Several ground beetles prey on the cater- 

 pillars, while true parasitic insects attack both larv^ and 

 pupae. Several species of birds, notably vireos and cuckoos, 

 consume large numbers of the caterpillars, while others, like 

 the chewink, chickadee, blue jay and crow, do their part 

 *n reducing the numbers of the pest. The service of these 

 natural tree protectors is worthy of high praise, but in 

 attempting to control the moth the main reliance must be 

 placed on human efforts — on the timely and thorough appli- 

 cation of the remedial measures outlined" below. As yet 

 the native enemies have not shown ability to materially 

 check the increase of the pest. 



It is well known that in Europe the insect seems to be 

 largely controlled by its natural enemies, so that serious 



