Long Term Devastation

[airedale]

Where I do most of my hunting is still feeling the effects of the Gypsy Moth infestation from last year. They defoliated all of the mast trees so there was almost zero acorns or beechnuts. Made the defoliated woods around here look like winter in the summer. 

This past summer there was some recovery for the trees but with leaves only, none of my apple trees had a blossom, the oaks bear no acorns and same for the beech trees, no beechnuts. Without food game animals move on to greener pastures, I have been seeing few Deer, and few Squirrels, been giving what few Squirrels I see get a free pass and the same for Deer so far. I have a good friend that has a large farm not too far from me that was untouched by the moths so if I really want to kill something I guess I will be hunting his place. At this stage of the game for me it is just fun getting out into the woods and hunting, I really do not need to take any game but I still sure like to see some activity.

Hopefully next year things up this way improve for the forests and recovery improves.

A couple of photos from last spring when the moths were just getting started.

Edited November 8, 2022 by airedale

[Just Lucky]

I too have noticed leaves all off trees, no nuts, and apple trees bare

[phade]

I hear it takes several years for trees to recover. I learned how long of a process it actually is when mature trees are hit with something big like that due to Hurricane Irma and Maria in St John. That was like 2017 or so and the island still isn’t yet fully green. I can take many cycles/years for trees to be back to new normal. Trees are very tough though.

[Trad bow]

Our trees in Steuben county were hammered this year making two years in row. It’s really devastating to see what has happened and I hope they can recover. When I see 100 + year old white oaks barren I can’t even put my feelings into words. Our land is all but void of wildlife I just hope they have found greener pastures and we can put this behind us .

[Doc]

We went through an infestation too several years ago. It lasted about three consecutive years of defoliation. There was some trees that died, but almost all of them survived eventually. I have never heard of any major devastation of large areas that were permanently wiped out, but when you see it, it is hard to believe that the woods could ever survive that kind of damage.

Usually the population of the caterpillars implodes. I don't know whether they starve themselves, or whether some disease of some sort wipes them out. But they will come to an end. 

[luberhill]

That and the dam ash bore

hundreds of thousands are dead 

[Doc]

Check with your local County Extension Office, and they should have a lot of info on these kinds of infestation and the expected results that they may have on your forests. There may be some temporary bad news, but the long-term results may not be as scary as what you might imagine.

[Doc]

[airedale]

The trees grew leaves half way decent but the Apple trees had not a single blossom and the Oaks zero acorns. Hopefully they will bear some fruit and nuts this year.

Al

[jperch]

I saw this happen decades ago (around 1980) in central Pa.  The oak trees in areas around Penn State (for example, Nittany Mountain) were devoid of leaves for a couple of years.  It seems like the moths move on and the woods recover.  I remember that walking in the woods when the catepillars were feeding was disgusting, their poop made it sound like it was raining.

[Doc]

On 3/19/2023 at 3:08 PM, jperch said:

I saw this happen decades ago (around 1980) in central Pa.  The oak trees in areas around Penn State (for example, Nittany Mountain) were devoid of leaves for a couple of years.  It seems like the moths move on and the woods recover.  I remember that walking in the woods when the catepillars were feeding was disgusting, their poop made it sound like it was raining.

I have not figured out whether the moths "move on" or just die off from disease or starvation. Does anyone know what causes the population to eventually collapse?

[genesee_mohican]

I talked to a biologist last summer and he said they would eventually die off due to a virus. The G moths did seem to go away mid summer last year. I'm hoping they are gone and the trees can put out some acorns this year.

Here's an article I found on the subject: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/gypsymoth/management.cfm

"During outbreaks or when populations are high, Gypsy moths may be killed by a viral organism known as nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV). Unlike E. maimaiga, the virus only occurs under outbreak conditions, because caterpillars are generally crowded and stressed from lack of food."

 

[Doc]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:10 PM, genesee_mohican said:

I talked to a biologist last summer and he said they would eventually die off due to a virus. The G moths did seem to go away mid summer last year. I'm hoping they are gone and the trees can put out some acorns this year.

Here's an article I found on the subject: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/gypsymoth/management.cfm

"During outbreaks or when populations are high, Gypsy moths may be killed by a viral organism known as nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV). Unlike E. maimaiga, the virus only occurs under outbreak conditions, because caterpillars are generally crowded and stressed from lack of food."

 

Yes, something definitely kills them off, because we never see places that have infestations year after year without some eventual die-off. It makes you wonder if there isn't some kind of spray that could be developed to knock those critters down before early infestations get into such a large area.

[airedale]

Well a little good news to report, my apple tree have blossoms and are leafing out nicely. The Oaks up in the crown areas are looking a lot better this spring also. hopefully a few acorns will come along.

Al