Invasive Species — Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar)
More Resources
Management
Annual surveys are conducted in the U.S. and Canada using pheromone traps. In Alaska, a cooperative monitoring program is effect to survey several locations in the state each year. The monitoring program is a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service and the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service. Preventative efforts include thinning tree strands to reduce the proportion of host species.
In some places such as in New Zealand, ships are quarantined to inspect for egg masses. In the eastern U.S., there has been some limited success with physical removal of egg masses from trees, but this is only possible for small, localized infestations. On larger scales, pesticides are often applied to suppress the outbreaks.