A couple of weeks ago I spotted a moth on a tree in the yard. It took me a couple of seconds to realize it was a female gypsy moth.
That gypsy moth was in the middle of laying its eggs. I could have destroyed it right there and then but decided against it. I thought maybe a few readers of this blog might want to see what an egg-laying gypsy moth looks like.
The brown egg mass it deposited contains hundreds of eggs, most of which will survive the winter and hatch out next spring. Cold winter weather doesn’t bother them at all. Once all of those caterpillars hatch, they will climb the tree and start devouring leaves.
One female gypsy moth will lay an egg mass containing hundreds of eggs.
The next time you’re outside enjoying your yard, it might not be a bad idea to look at your trees for signs of gypsy moth egg masses. They normally lay eggs on the trunk of a tree or on lower branches. You can also find them on backyard swing-sets, picnic tables, RVs — just about anything that’s left out side.
It’s a good idea to destroy these eggs masses as soon as you find them. Scrape them off of the tree and throw them in the trash. Don’t let them lay on the ground thinking that you took care of them. They’re pretty tough and will hatch even if left on the ground all winter.
Now I have a bit of a dilemma, do I take off that egg mass from my tree? Or do I leave it there until spring and take pictures of hatching caterpillars for this blog?
Bob
[...] of you who are regular readers of this blog may remember a post from last fall. It was about a gypsy moth caught in the act of laying eggs. I decided not to destroy that eggs [...]
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