Gypsy moth caterpillars damaged 1,317 acres of trees in 68 New Jersey towns this spring, with areas of Middlesex County being among the hardest hit.
“While the gypsy moth population has remained relatively low, they are still a significant threat to trees and, given the right conditions, could have a resurgence,” state Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher said last week. “We need to remain vigilant in our surveillance and suppression efforts to protect these natural resources.”
The Department of Agriculture’s annual aerial defoliation survey showed that spray efforts in the Camden County towns of Waterford and Winslow were successful, with no trees defoliated in Waterford and 5 acres of trees with leaf loss in Winslow. The aerial spray program in May comprised 274 acres in the two municipalities.
Ocean County had the most acres damaged by gypsy moths, with 228 acres of mostly moderate damage in Barnegat, Berkley, Jackson and Stafford. Middlesex County, however, had the highest amount of severe damage over 117 acres in Edison, Old Bridge, Piscataway and Woodbridge. Severe damage means 50 to 75 percent of the leaves on a tree have been stripped by the gypsy moth caterpillars.
In Edison, the area experiencing the most damage was in Menlo Park near the Woodbridge border, according to Lynne Richmond, public information officer for the Department of Agriculture.
In Old Bridge, the Moerls Corner area near the intersection of routes 9 and 18 was the hardest hit.
The departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection collaborate on gypsy moth suppression in New Jersey, with the NJDAhandling wooded residential areas and DEP handling state-forested lands.
“We strongly support continued efforts to battle gypsy moths to ensure the health of our forests,” said State Forester Lynn Fleming. “A healthy forest provides many environmental and recreational benefits, and a strong forest is better able to ward off other pest invaders and better withstand potential forest fires.”
An egg mass survey conducted last fall qualified Waterford and Winslow for the spring aerial suppression program.
Last year, gypsy moth caterpillars damaged 3,813 acres of trees, while 91,890 acres were defoliated in 2009.
The gypsy moth population reached its peak in 2008 with 339,240 acres defoliated before the population began to decrease in 2009 through a combination of regular lifecycle drop-off, beneficial fungus activity and natural predator increases in combination with the department’s spray program.
The Department of Agriculture said it will continue to closely monitor, survey and recommend treatments to control the spread of the gypsy moth.
Two to three consecutive years of significant defoliation, defined as 75 percent or more, can kill an otherwise healthy tree. However, any gypsy moth defoliation can make trees more susceptible to other damage that can lead to the death of the tree. Oak trees are the preferred host for gypsy moths, but the caterpillars can be found feeding on almost any tree in the vicinity.
To access the 2011 New Jersey Gypsy MothAerial Defoliation survey and for more information on New Jersey’s gypsy moth suppression program, visit www.nj.gov/agriculture/ divisions/pi/prog/gypsymoth.html.