For more information on how you can move gypsy moth-free, go to: 

www.yourmovegypsymothfree.com

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

Program Aid No. 2065
The gypsy moth is one of the most destructive 

pests of trees and shrubs to ever be introduced 

into the United States. Gorging themselves on 

the leaves of up to 300 host species, gypsy moth 

caterpillars defoliate and weaken the trees that 

make up our national forests and community 

landscapes. Those trees that are already 

suffering from drought, disease, or pests are especially vulnerable and may be killed by the 

gypsy moths’ repeated defoliation. Before your next move, whether it’s out of State or just 

across town, be sure to fully inspect household goods and help prevent the spread of gypsy 

moth to new areas.

For more information on how you can move gypsy moth-free, 

go to www.yourmovegypsymothfree.com.

SAVE A FOREST. KILL A FOREST. 

IT ALL DEPENDS ON 

YOUR NEXT MOVE.

Here you can see the effect of the gypsy moth on what used to be a dense forest.

Linda J. Card, Maryland Department 

of Agriculture

Mark Robinson, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
The gypsy moth has infested many States in the northeast United States, resulting in massive 

defoliation of the regions’ precious trees. If you live where the gypsy moth is prevalent, you 

know the damage this insect can cause. The leaf-eating caterpillars devour the leaves of 

many hardwood trees and shrubs, giving summer scenes a barren, wintry look. Gypsy moth 

larvae have been known to defoliate up to 13 million acres of trees in one season, damaging 

local ecosystems and killing trees outright. The larvae also crawl on homes, litter lawn 

furniture and pools, and make outdoor activities hard to enjoy.

The gypsy moth is an insect that goes through four stages of development—egg, larva 

(caterpillar), pupa (cocoon), and adult (moth). It has one generation a year. During the 

summer months, female moths attach egg masses to trees, stones, walls, logs, and other 

outdoor objects, including household items. Each egg mass contains up to 1,000 eggs and 

is covered with buff or yellowish “hairs.” The velvety egg masses are on average 1 1/2 inches 

long and three-fourths of an inch wide. After eggs hatch in the spring, the caterpillars feed 

voraciously and grow to 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in length.

The gypsy moth often travels into non-infested areas when people moving from an infested 

State transport outdoor furniture or equipment with gypsy moth egg sacs attached. 

THE PROBLEM

Gypsy moth life stages (clockwise from upper left): USDA file photo; USDA file photo; Ann Czapiewski, USDA; R. Anson Eaglin, USDA

GYPSY MOTH EGG MASSE

W

S

HATTO LOOK FOR
AFFECTED AREAS

GENERALLY 

INFESTED AREA

POTENTIALLY 

INFESTED AREA

UNaffected

AREAS

The areas infested with gypsy moth change each year. You can find a map of the current regulated areas at 

www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/gypsy_moth/downloads/gypmoth.pdf.

Helping to prevent the spread of gypsy moth is easy. Simply inspect household articles—

such as outdoor furniture, lawn equipment, or children’s outside toys—for gypsy moth 

egg sacs. 

Inspecting household articles, however, goes beyond being a good neighbor; it is required 

by law. USDA requires anyone moving from a State infested with the gypsy moth to a

non-infested State to provide an official certificate of inspection of all common outdoor 

household articles that could carry the gypsy moth. To meet the requirements, you can 

perform a self-inspection of household goods or you may pay a USDA-certified pesticide 

applicator to inspect the articles you plan to move. The driver of your moving van must keep 

this certificate on hand during the move in case it is requested at any point during the trip.

THE SOLUTION
Self-Inspection

If you decide to do the gypsy moth inspection yourself, include anything accessible to the 

insect. Inspect any article left outdoors, stored in areas open to the outside, or stored 

indoors but used outside. Use the checklist provided to facilitate the inspection.

Follow these simple steps for gypsy moth inspection:

1. Carefully examine each article.

2. Remove and destroy any life stages found.

3. Check the item off the list.

4. Enter the date and place inspected.

5. Sign at the bottom.

This completed and signed checklist will be 

your official certificate of self-inspection. 

This certificate should be included with the 

paperwork accompanying your move and 

given to the driver of the moving van.

If you are moving between April 1 and 

August 31, when female moths lay eggs 

and the caterpillars spread, you should 

inspect your articles on moving day if at all 

possible. However, if you complete your 

inspection before moving day, you should 

protect the articles from any further possibility of infestation by:

• Sealing them with tarpaulin or plastic bags,

• Packing them immediately into a moving van or truck and keeping the doors 

 closed or covered, or

• Storing them indoors.

Disposable plastic bags will safeguard your articles for several days before a move. 

On moving day, simply remove the bags and leave them behind.

INSPECTION OPTIONS

If you inspect for gypsy moths on your own, make sure 

to thoroughly check all outdoor household articles for 

egg masses and remove and destroy them.

Ann Czapiewski, USDA
Destroying Life Stages of Gypsy Moth

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 hand tool. Dispose 

of egg masses and other life stages in a container of hot, soapy water or place them in a 

plastic bag, seal it, and set it in the sun.

Professional Inspection

Participating State-licensed pesticide applicators are trained to inspect your household 

items and treat heavily infested articles or inaccessible spaces with registered pesticides 

if necessary. These persons are also authorized to issue you a certificate stating that your 

outdoor household items are free of gypsy moth. A certificate must always accompany 

outdoor household items in transit. This certificate will satisfy the requirements of all 

non-infested States and will relieve you of liability should your items be re-inspected by 

a State official in the destination State and be found to harbor gypsy moth.

You may find pesticide applicators that participate in the program through local advertising.

INSPECTION OPTIONS

Gypsy moth egg masses can be found on outdoor equipment and tools that sit outside. Inspect equipment and tools 

for gypsy moth egg masses before a move.

Ann Czapiewski, USDA Ann Czapiewski, USDA
CHECKLIST

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

Checklist and Record of Your Self-Inspection

Date: __________________ Property address: _________________________________________________________

Recreational or Camping Items

❏ Backpacks ❏ Ice chests ❏ Tarps

❏ Basketball backboards ❏ Motorcycles ❏ Tents

❏ Bicycles ❏ Motor homes ❏ Waders or boots

❏ Boats ❏ Recreational vehicles ❏ Other:________________

❏ Boat trailers ❏ Snowmobiles

❏ Campers ❏ Sports equipment

Household Items

❏ Air conditioners ❏ Ladders ❏ Tanks for propane and oil

❏ Barrels ❏ Outdoor doormats ❏ Television antennas

❏ Cardboard and wooden boxes ❏ Outdoor thermometers ❏ Trash cans

❏ Clothesline poles ❏ Refrigerators ❏ Washing machines

❏ Clothespin bags ❏ Sheets of plastic ❏ Water hoses

❏ Empty plant containers ❏ Shutters ❏ Weather vanes

❏ Firewood ❏ Storage sheds ❏ Window awnings

❏ House plants (taken outside during the summer) ❏ Storm/screen doors and windows ❏ Other:________________

Building Materials

❏ Bricks ❏ Roofing materials ❏ Welding equipment

❏ Cinder blocks ❏ Sewer pipes ❏ Workbenches

❏ Cement mixing tubs ❏ Tools and toolboxes ❏ Other:________________

❏ Lumber ❏ Water pipes

Yard and Garden Items

❏ Animal houses (doghouses, rabbit hutches, etc.) ❏ Fertilizer spreaders ❏ Storage sheds

❏ Barbecue grills ❏ Flagpoles ❏ Swimming pools

❏ Birdbaths ❏ Garden tillers ❏ Tractors and trailers

❏ Bird feeders ❏ Garden tools ❏ Trees, shrubs, and plants

❏ Bird houses ❏ Lawnmowers ❏ Trellises

❏ Bug lights ❏ Mailboxes ❏ Wheelbarrows

❏ Carts ❏ Picnic tables ❏ Yard decorations

❏ Coldframes ❏ Porch or patio furniture ❏ Other:________________

❏ Driftwood ❏ Signs and posts

❏ Fencing ❏ Snowblowers

Children’s Playthings

❏ Bicycles, tricycles ❏ Sleds, toboggans ❏ Wagons

❏ Playhouses ❏ Swingsets ❏ Other outside toys (like trucks 

❏ Sandboxes ❏ Tire swings or sand molds

❏ Other:________________

Other Items

❏ Cars or trucks ❏ Car ramps ❏ Stored tires (snow tires)

❏ Car parts ❏ Farm implements ❏ Other:________________

Please inspect anything that was stored outside!

Signature: _________________________________________________________________________________

(If the inspection was done by a commercial inspection company, provide the name of the firm and its phone number.)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance 

program. (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 USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice 

and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, D.C. 20250–9410, or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider 

and employer.

This publication supersedes “Don’t Move Gypsy Moth” (Program Aid No. 1329), published in December 1994 and slightly revised 

in October 2007.

Issued October 2010

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

For more information on how you can move gypsy moth-free, go to: 

www.yourmovegypsymothfree.com