The Gypsy Moth in London
Aerial spraying completed
The City of London
has completed its
aerial spray applications for this year.
The first spraying was completed Friday, May 22. The
second, and final, spraying was completed Monday, June
1. No additional spraying will be conducted this year. The
City will be monitoring Gypsy Moth populations and their
impacts on trees over the course of the summer and winter.
What is European Gypsy Moth?
European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is
a non-native defoliating insect considered a major pest in
North America. The caterpillar, or larva stage of the
insect, eats the leaves of trees making the trees more
susceptible to disease and attack from other insects. The
City of London's Forestry staff has been monitoring gypsy
moth levels in London since 2008. Based on surveys conducted
in the fall of 2008, a number of City properties were
identified that will likely experience serious tree
defoliation in 2009 if no action is taken. This defoliation
would result in wide-spread mortality of vulnerable trees -
especially oak.
About London's Gypsy Moth Control Project
In March 2009, Council approved a recommendation
for the aerial spraying of about 15 hectares of City forest
properties to help control the insect infestation. The Gypsy
Moth Control Project has included manual removal of egg
masses from individual trees along boulevards and the aerial spraying of the
biological control treatment Btk (Bacillus thuringiensis
subspecies kurstaki). The City will be conducting
surveys in the treated areas to monitor the affects of the
control programs.
Gypsy Moth Information and Resources