Robbie Herring, age 10, of New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, for his question:
What is the story of the gypsy moth?
Every year the whiskery caterpillars of the gypsy moth destroy acres and acres of our precious forests and orchards. For more than a hundred years, experts have been trying to wipe out this destructive insect pest. But it keeps on multiplying and spreading. Actually, it does not belong here and in its native home there are certain beetles that keep the gypsy moth population under control.
This is a tragic story of downright, carelessness. The only thing good about it is that it taught us a valuable lesson. The gypsy moth was brought to America from France and it taught us that wild creatures should not be taken from their native homes and let loose in a new country. There are laws now to stop that sort of thing.
The story of the gypsy moth invasion began way back in 1869, when a French scientist took some French gypsy moths to Medford, Mass. They are tussock moths that can spin silken threads. The scientist hoped to cultivate enough of them to start a silk making business. This idea came to nothing. However, obviously through unforgivable carelessness, some of the fuzzy moths escaped and set up housekeeping in the surrounding trees. There the fat lazy females laid their eggs. Unbeknown to anybody, numerous hairy cocoons containing 400 or so gypsy moth eggs were hidden in fallen logs, in rough bark and rocky crevices.
Come spring, the eggs hatched and the neighborhood was infested with tiny gypsy moth caterpillars. Those dark, whiskery caterpillars were famished and devoured all the greenery in the eastern part of town. Only the horse chestnuts and some of the grasses were spared.
By early July, the greedy pests were two inch caterpillars and at last the leafy banquet was over at least until next year. It was time for the pupa stage. For the next ten days or so, the wretched creatures hid themselves in silken cocoons. When they came forth they were winged adults, all set to lay more eggs to hatch next spring.
During the next 20 years, the gypsy moth plague infested forests, parks and orchards. As the trees were stripped and stripped again of their leaves, they died. Relentlessly the moths spread through the New England states, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Naturally the experts have tried to stop the spread and wipe out the last of the gypsy moths. They use gummy material to stop the caterpillars from crawling up tree trunks. They use poisonous sprays, though this is risky. A poison that destroys an unwanted insect is likely to kill a lot of useful insects that rightly belong in our trees. One clever device makes some of the male moths unable to multiply but not all of them. At present we do not have a perfect weapon in our war against the gypsy moth invasion.