This spring, forests across the North Country experienced a Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD), commonly known as gypsy moth, infestation causing a severe loss of foliage in many areas, especially in the Town of Plattsburgh and Town of Beekmantown. LDD feed on more than 300 species of trees and shrubs and during outbreaks thousands of acres of trees can be damaged. Trees do recover after the LDD caterpillars eat their leaves and grow a new canopy within a few weeks if the tree is healthy and not already vulnerable to disease. While the damage is concerning, LDD infestations are cyclical and infestations end naturally as disease becomes more prevalent and predator populations increase.

 “We must work together to make sure that the LDD infestation does not get any worse,” said Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake). “Many constituents and local town officials contacted my office this spring when trees were stripped bare by these pests and were deeply concerned about how it would impact maple syrup production and local Christmas tree farms. Since I was notified of this issue, I have acted as a conduit between local elected officials and the DEC to figure out the best solutions to eradicate this moth infestation.”

 “From the beginning the power of partnership has been our focus,” said Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Michael C. Cashman. “Together we have worked to identify resources and share information. This work will continue to require state resources as well as leveraging localities to work with residents to combat the invasive species. I am thankful to Assemblyman Jones and DEC Commissioner Seggos for their dedication to working with us. There is more work to be done but confident together we can achieve more.”

 “In the spring, so many people in Clinton County were panicked about the LDD infestation because they did not know how to stop these pests from wreaking havoc on their trees,” said Mark Henry, Chairman of the Clinton County Legislature. “The best way to address this issue was to make sure that people were informed about the resources they needed to combat an LDD infestation, and Assemblyman Jones answered our call for help and made sure that we had that important information.”

 “I want to thank Assemblyman Billy Jones for stepping up and helping the Town of Beekmantown connect with DEC so that we had the resources we needed to educate our residents on how to combat an LDD infestation,” said Beekmantown Supervisor Sam Dyer. “This has truly been a community effort between state and local government officials, and we will continue to work together to make sure that our region is prepared in the future to address this issue.”

The good news is that there are ways to protect individual trees and small areas for next year. One way is to squish the caterpillars and moths when you see them. In the fall, LDD eggs are prevalent on tree trunks and can easily be destroyed by scraping the egg masses off trees into containers of detergent. Recently, Cumberland Bay State Park and Macomb Reservation State Park asked volunteers to help destroy egg masses found in the parks in efforts to avoid further damage next year. Horticulture oil insecticides can be used as well to remove the protective layer from eggs but must be applied to the egg masses during the fall or early spring before the caterpillars emerge.

In the spring, bands, barriers and traps can be set up on tree trunks as well to block the caterpillars from climbing up the trees. Microbial and chemical insecticides can also be used in the spring to kill young caterpillars.

“The most important thing we can do now to protect trees next year is to continue to raise awareness on this issue and to provide people with information on how to remove eggs and larvae before it becomes a problem,” Assemblyman Jones continued. “I will continue to work with local leaders to make sure that people in the North Country are prepared for next year.”

More information about best ways to prevent a LDD infestation can be found on my website at https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Billy-Jones/story/98844 or you can visit DEC’s LDD webpage for more information including how to help trees recover from LDD damage, how to help predict next year’s caterpillar populations, and annual outbreak updates: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/83118.html.