ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will
set nearly 15,000 gypsy moth traps across Minnesota this spring. The
work is part of the MDA’s annual detection trapping program and is
designed to protect Minnesota’s forests and urban areas from new
infestations of gypsy moth.
Beginning
May 15, MDA staff will be out in southern Minnesota setting traps. The
northern portion of the state will start to receive traps after June 12.
Setting the thousands of traps will take several weeks.
Most
of the gypsy moth traps are small, triangle-shaped and made of
cardboard. Milk carton traps, which are much larger, are used in areas
of northeastern Minnesota where moth numbers are expected to be much
higher than elsewhere. All of the traps are set on trees or poles
across the state and contain a pheromone to lure in male gypsy moths.
Citizens
are asked not to disturb the traps and to call MDA’s Arrest the Pest
Hotline at 888-545-MOTH if they would like traps moved or removed from
their properties.
Trapping
results may identify areas that need localized treatments to control
the moths. The Twin Cities metro area is considered high risk for
human-assisted introductions of gypsy moth, but trap counts are still
expected to be low in that area. Northeastern Minnesota is again
expected to be the hot spot for gypsy moths in 2014, as the invasion
front has now moved into that area from infested states to the east.
“For
over 40 years, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and our partners
have protected Minnesota’s trees from this nasty pest,” MDA Plant
Protection Director Geir Friisoe said. “Our efforts have saved important
industries like tourism and forestry from economic harm. Each year we
delay the moths is a victory for the environment and the economy.”
Gypsy
moth caterpillars eat the leaves of many trees and shrubs, favoring
oak, poplar, birch and willow. Severe, repeated infestations can kill
trees, especially when the trees are already stressed by drought or
other factors.
For more details about the trapping program and gypsy moth, visit the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/gypsymoth.
