Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

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:ates Department of Agriculture

id Plant Health Inspection Service Program Aid Number 1329 GPO

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Gypsy Motfi°^""

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-5881 (voice) or (202) 720-7808 (TDD).

To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or (202) 720- 1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment oppor- tunity employer.

Cover photo: inspecting outdoor household articles, check inside tubular items, like lawn furniture, ladders, and swingsets. Probe the tubes or flush them with hot water or another killing agent.

Photo credits: The cover photograph and figures 3-10 were taken by USDA photographer Perry Rech.

Revised December 1994

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Don't Move an Old Pest to a New Neighborhood

Planning to move from a State infested with gypsy moth to one that is not infested? You need to know about a regulation intended to prevent the inter- state spread of this pest.

Recent studies show that most new, isolated infestations of the gypsy moth were started from egg masses transported on outdoor household articles — garbage cans, lawn furniture, children's toys — any item accessible to the female moth at egg-laying time. As a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revised its gypsy moth quarantine regulations to require that such articles be inspected for all gypsy moth life stages prior to movement outside of the generally infested area. As shown in figure 1 , this includes most of the northeastern part of the United States.

Status

■ Entire State/county regulated K Part county regulated □ Not regulated

Figure 1— Parts of the United States currently regulated for the presence of gypsy moth.

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If you live where the gypsy moth is prevalent, you know the damage the leaf-eating caterpillars can cause. They defoliate trees and shrubs, giving summer scenes a barren, wintry look. Gypsy moths have defoliated up to 13 million acres of trees in 1 season. They crawl on homes, litter lawn furniture and pools, and make outdoor activities hard to enjoy.

Figure 2 — Gypsy moth caterpillars survive in high numbers in North America because here, unlike Europe, they don't have many natural enemies.

People glad to be leaving the annoyance of liv- ing with the gypsy moth took egg masses along unintentionally — to hatch and spread far from their old neighborhood. Millions of Federal and State tax dollars have been spent in recent years to limit the movement of these pests and to eradicate the iso- lated infestations that have been established in previously uninfested areas. In short, the gypsy moth will not be a welcome addition to your new neighborhood.

Failure to inspect household articles for gypsy moth life stages prior to movement from a regu- lated area is a violation of USDA quarantine regula- tions and may result in significant civil penalties. Inspecting your property for gypsy moths goes beyond being a good neighbor: it is required by law. Don't be responsible for moving an old pest to a new neighborhood.

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Two Ways To Inspect for Gypsy Moth

You are responsible for making sure that your out- door items don't move the gypsy moth. How you do this is your decision. The quarantine regulations allow for self-inspection, and this pamphlet was developed to assist you if you choose to self- inspect. Alternatively, you may pay a USDA-trained certified pesticide applicator to inspect the articles you plan to move.

Officials with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) work with the States in monitoring anyone who moves outdoor household articles out of the regulated area. These officials check to see if people who are moving have a document certifying that their outdoor household articles have been properly inspected and found to be free of gypsy moth. If they don't have a certificate, the movement of the outdoor household articles constitutes a violation of the quarantine. Appropriate action, including the assessment of civil penalties, may be taken against the owner of the infested household goods.

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Professional Inspection

Participating State-licensed pesticide applicators are trained to inspect your items and treat heavily infested articles or inaccessible spaces with regis- tered pesticides if necessary. These persons are also authorized to issue you a certificate stating that your outdoor household items are free of gypsy moth.

This certificate will satisfy the requirements of all uninfested States and will relieve you of liability should your items be reinspected by a State official in the destination State and be found to harbor gypsy moth. The certificate must be issued prior to the movement of the outdoor articles and within 5 days of your departure during the period of active egg laying (June through August).

You may find pesticide applicators who are participating in the program through local advertis- ing. You also may contact one of the information sources listed in this publication for a list of partici- pating applicators.

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Self-Inspection

If you decide to do the inspection yourself, include anything accessible to a gypsy moth. Inspect any article left outdoors, stored in areas open to the outside, or stored indoors but used outdoors.

The checklist on the back cover of this bro- chure lists common outdoor household articles that could carry gypsy moth life stages. Carefully exam- ine each article, remove any life stages found, and check the item off the list. Be sure to enter the date and place inspected and sign at the bottom. This will be your official certificate of self-inspection. Include this list with the paperwork accompanying your move.

Figure 3 — Don't overlook children's toys that have been left outdoors. Gypsy moth egg masses can turn up almost anywhere.

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How To Recognize Gypsy Moth Life Stages

If you choose to inspect your outdoor articles, you need to be able to identify gypsy moth life stages. Most important is the egg mass. This publication contains photographs to help you.

The gypsy moth goes through four stages of development — egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (cocoon), and adult (moth). It has one generation a year. Dur- ing the summer months, female moths attach egg masses to trees, stones, walls, logs, and other out- door objects, including outdoor household articles. Each egg mass contains up to 1 ,000 eggs and is covered with buff or yellowish "hairs" from the abdomen of the female. The velvety egg masses vary in size but average about an inch and a half long and three-quarters of an inch wide (roughly between the size of a dime and a quarter).

Figure 4 — Gypsy moth adult female with egg mass.

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Figure 5— Gypsy moth adult male.

In Southern States, eggs begin hatching in late March. Hatch starts around early May in the north- ernmost States. The grayish, hairy caterpillars are easy to identify when about half grown by pairs of red and blue dots on their backs. Mature caterpillars are from 1 .5 to 2.5 inches long. These caterpillars are voracious feeders and, in sufficient numbers, are capable of devouring all the leaves from the trees and plants in entire neighborhoods and forests.

Caterpillars stop feeding when they enter the pupal or "cocoon" stage, ranging from May in Southern States to early July in Northern States, varying with weather and climate. Adult moths emerge from the dark-brown pupal cases 10 to 14 days later. Males have light tan to brown wings marked with dark, wavy bands, and a 1 .5-inch wingspread. Female moths are larger than males and generally white, with a wingspread of about 2.5 inches. Despite having larger wings, the female moths cannot fly.

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Neither sex feeds in tine moth stage; adults mate and lay eggs only. The eggs are the dormant stage of the life cycle, allowing the pest to survive winter weather. Egg-hatch the following spring starts the life cycle over again.

Figure 6 — Gypsy moth pupa.

Figure 7 — Gypsy moth caterpillar.

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What To Do If You Find Gypsy Moth Life Stages

An effective way to dispose of gypsy moth life stages is to remove them by hand. Scrape egg masses from their locations with a putty knife, stiff brush, or similar handtool. Dispose of egg masses and other life stages in a container of hot water, household bleach, ammonia, or kerosene. You may elect to abandon articles if they are heavily infested and of little value to you.

Gypsy moth hairs, found attached to all life stages, can cause people who are allergic to them to have skin rashes or respiratory reactions. If nec- essary, wear gloves, protective clothing, and a dust mask.

Figure 8 — Be sure to check items that are stored in areas accessible to gypsy moths, like garages, storage sheds, and under porches or tarps.

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Figure 9 — If you find gypsy moth egg masses, scrape them into a container of hot water, household bleach, ammonia, or kerosene.

Depending on the time of year, you may have to protect your articles from reinfestation by cater- pillars or moths after inspection. The best way to do this is to store the articles inside. During the time of year when these life stages are present, do not conduct the inspection more than 5 days prior to your departure.

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Remember, you are the key to preventing the interstate movement of gypsy moth on outdoor household articles. Do your part to prevent the spread of this pest.

Figure 10 — Many items can be easily freed of gypsy moth life stages. Others, like the insides of vehicle wheels, can be very difficult to inspect properly.

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Additional Information

If you need additional information about the Fed- eral regulations on moving outdoor household articles, contact one of the following:

• Your State's regulatory officials, usually listed under department of agriculture, plant protection or regulatory division, in the State government section of your telephone directory.

• A Federal regulatory official, listed in the Federal Government section of your telephone directory under USDA, APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine.

• Your county's agriculture extension agent, listed in the Federal Government section of your tele- phone directory under USDA, Extension Service.

• A local commercial moving company. Movers have been cooperating with USDA to be sure that the Federal regulations about gypsy moth are followed.

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Agriculture Self-Inspection Checklist

Important: Make sure this checklist goes with your household goods when you move!

Checklist and Record of Your Self-Inspection

Date:

Place Inspected:

Recreational or Camping Items

□ Backpacks	□	Recreational vehicles
□ Basketball backboards	□	Snowmobiles
□ Boats	□	Sports equipment
□ Boat trailers	□	Tarps
□ Campers	□	Tents
□ Ice chests	□	Waders or boots
□ Motorcycles	□
□ Motor homes
Household Items
1 , Air conoiuoners	1 , \ 1	neingeraTors
□ Barrels	□	Sheets of plastic
□ Cardboard and	□	Shutters
wooden boxes	□	Storage sheds
□ Clothesline poles	□	Storm/screen doors
□ Clothespin bags		and windows
□ Empty plant	□	Tanks for propane
containers		and oil
□ Firewood	□	Television antennas
□ House plants taken	□	Trash cans
outside during the	□	Washing machines
summer	□	Water hoses
□ Ladders	□	Weather vanes
D Outdoor doormats	□	Window awnings
□ Outdoor thermometers	□
Building Materials
r~ Bricks	□	Tools and toolboxes
□ Cinder blocks	□	Water pipes
□ Cement-mixing tubs	□	Welding equipment
□ Lumber	□	Workbenches
□ Roofing materials	□
□ Sewer pipes

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Yard and Garden Items

□ Animal houses	1 — 1	Garden tools
(doghouses, rabbit	1 — 1	Lawnmowers
hutches, etc.)	1 — 1	Mailboxes
□ Barbecue grills	□	Picnic tables
1 1 Birdbaths	□	Porch or patio furniture
□ Bird feeders	□	Signs and posts
O Bird houses	u	Snowblowers
□ Bug lights	□	Storage sheds
□ Carts	□	Swimming pools
1 1 uoiatrames	u	Trees and shrubs
1 1 uriTiwooa	1 1	1 III AN AN ^ 1 reiiises
Fencing	LJ	Wheelbarrows
□ Fertilizer spreaders	1 — 1 u	Yard decorations
1 1 Flagpoles	1 1 u
□ Garden tillers
Children's Playthings
1 1 bicycles, tncycies	1 — 1 u	Tire swings
Q Playhouses	1 1	Wagons
1 1 oanauoxes	1 1	Other outside toys
1 1 oieas, toDoggans		like trucks, sand molds
□ Swingsets	□
Other Items
□ Car parts	□	Plants
□ Car ramps	□	Stored tires
□ Cars or trucks		(snow tires)
□ Farm items	□

Please inspect anything that was stored outside! Signature:

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