In the Northeast, which the moth invaded from Europe in 1869, about 850 million acres of trees have died because of the insect's insatiable hunger. And they're tremendously reproductive. Each female can lay 1,000 eggs, said Jennifer Boaz, a spokeswoman for the Washington Department of Agriculture. The war on gypsy moths isn't necessarily aimed at protecting the Northwest's orchards.
Farmers are far too observant to allow the moths to set up housekeeping in their orchards.
Rather, officials want gypsy moths kept out of the Northwest's forests and backyard trees. The trapping effort each summer tells officials where to spray the following spring, when the creatures are in their caterpillar stage. Washington has scattered about 25,000 traps throughout the state. Oregon has about 17,000. The traps, baited with a plastic strip that carries the scent of a female moth, are checked about once a week.