Cornell Cooperative Extension will hold two one-hour Forest Connect Gypsy Moths: a Persistent Invasive Forest Pest webinars on April 19th at noon and 7 p.m.
The gypsy moth was accidentally introduced in Massachusetts in 1869 and has slowly expanded its range through eastern North America.
In regions where the species has become established, outbreaks are a recurrent phenomenon; populations exhibit some regularity with 5-10 years between population peaks. While most defoliation events have minimal long-term impacts on forests, some stands may experience extensive mortality and at a regional level it is possible to observe a significant decrease in the volume of host oak species associated with outbreaks.
These webinars, presented by Dr. Andrew Liebold of the U.S. Forest Service, will explore the history of gypsy moth, and when and how to use different strategies to limit spread or control the impacts of an outbreak.
Considerable success has been achieved at reducing the rate of spread of the gypsy moth into new regions of N. America. Within the infested area, prevention of outbreaks is challenging but suppression of outbreaks may be justified in high value forests.
To register for one of these webinars, go to: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/0fd2318ec3796a188c34be5db4a05ad8