THE (SYl'SY MOTH. ',)9 



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

 seevitive strippiugs are usually neeessaiy to cause the death 

 of a healthy deciduous tree, one thorouiih stripping will kill 

 the white pine and other coniferous trees." Figure 10 

 shows the etfect of a single stripping upon pine and spruce 

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

 writer in :\Iarch, 1905. These trees were totally dead and 

 fit only for firewood. Throughout acres of woodland in the 

 worst infested district in i\Iassachusetts the pines, spruces 

 and hemlocks have been almost entirely destroyed and the 

 piles of cordwood attest the devastation 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 Avriter. 



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 triie parasitic insects attack both lai-vti? and 

 pupse. Several species of birds, notablj' vireos and cuckoos, 

 consume large numbers of the catei'pillars. while others, like 

 the ehewiuk. 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 nuist be 

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

 cation of the remedial measures outlined" below. As yet 

 the native enemies have not shown ability to materially 

 cheek the increase of the pest. 



It is well kno\A-n that in Europe the insect seems to be 

 largely controlled by its natural enemies, so that serious 



