You can also tell if it s a new egg mass if the eggs pop when you firmly run the back of your thumbnail over the surface. Back to top Late April to Mid-May Look for emerging gypsy moth caterpillars. If the weather is warm, newly hatched caterpillars will immediately crawl to the top of the trees and begin feeding. If they don t like the leaves they sample in the treetops, they will drop a silken thread and balloon on the wind to another location. They will continue this behavior until they land on a tree they like to eat.
Ballooning is a one of the natural means of dispersal for the insect.
In early May, it s time to wrap duct tape or a tree wrap such as tarpaper around the trunk of your trees about four feet from the ground. Do not put the sticky substance directly on the tree trunk, as it can kill thin-barked trees and will leave permanent dark stainson all trees. The small insects will get caught in the sticky material as they crawl up the trees. Replace the sticky bands as they get covered with caterpillars and dirt. Sticky bands not only reduce the gypsy moth populations but also are good monitoring tools for the presence and numbers of gypsy moths in your yard.