Quick- get the spray! It's Winter Moth!
/Here in the great state of Rhode Island, an invasive species from Europe known as Operophtera brumata, or Winter Moth, likely laid waste to the leaves of one or more trees on your property this past spring/summer.
Winter Moth caterpillars are the culprits. Tiny and green, they emerge from their eggs in the bark of trees in springtime, cast out thin strands of silk and swing up in the canopy or drop onto shrubs to eat, eat, EAT. Maple, oak, ash, crabapple, among others are common RI host species. Many trees can recover and put out a second leaf, but too many years of Winter Moth and your property will be visibly compromised. The feast ends in the summer, they drop to the soil to pupate.
Luckily, they can be controlled with one of two different products. Spinosad is an organic product derived from a unique form of bacteria that affects the nervous system of target insects, and has virtually no non-target effects. We also use Acelepryn, which is a super low toxicity insecticide--which we and the honeybees both like!
In the next two months, we will see the adult moths emerge- hence the name Winter Moth. This is a great time for us to come by, give you a quote, and get you on the Winter Moth Spray list for Spring 2016.
Learn more about Winter Moth