We are in the second year of a heavy infestation of Gypsy Moth caterpillars. In our vicinity the tree trunks are festooned with squirming masses of the wretched things, the little ones are swinging from an extruded thread in order to travel, and the leaves are getting smaller and lacier by the day on our cherished oak trees, oak being one of their preferred foods. As I drove back from our shopping town today, I could spot tree after tree that is at least half defoliated. It is going to be a sad year. Last year both the closest trees were completely chomped, but they did put out a second set of leaves.
JG is determined to salvage at least the two closest oaks to the house, if not the other ones in the nearest copses, and to do so he is spraying the trees with an enzyme. This adheres to the leaves if there is no rain before it dries, and when the caterpillars eat it, it kills them, without killing anything else. But it has to be sprayed onto the leaves and these are not small trees. JG has rigged up a sprayer. I got some photos of the first iteration yesterday but did not manage to capture the full arc. I will try again tomorrow. In the meantime,
