This article is so misinformed, it provoked a response!
On smaller, non-flowering plants, maybe houseplants you put outside, Safer's works just fine.
Early in the season DORMANT OIL SPRAY is effective....BUT be careful!
Lowe's offered a DORMANT OIL SPRAY that included an insecticide - NOT NECESSARY!
Once caterpillars begin to munch - BT [Bacillus thuringiensis]! Sold as DIPEL!
As a responsible applicator, please don't spray milkweed - it will kill MONARCH BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS that have enough habitat destruction to confront.
NEEM is also promoted as effective, not hatmful to bees or beneficial insects [can't speak from experience - do your own research].
Can we stop promoting the use of poisons?
MetroWest hit hard by gypsy moth caterpillar
Posted Jun. 19, 2016 at 6:50 PM
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/20160619/metrowest-hit-hard-by-gypsy-moth-caterpillar
The MetroWest area is one of several across the state that has been hit hard by the gypsy moth caterpillar and local arborists say there is little homeowners can do now to protect their trees from the insect.
Throughout the past few years – and particularly this year – the gypsy moth caterpillar population has been on the rise, likely due to dry springs the past few years. The dry weather has repressed the growth of entomophaga maimaiga, a soil-based fungus that kills gypsy moth larvae.
“We’ve seen a lot more the past five to 10 years,” said Eric Taylor, consulting arborist with Lynch Plant Health Care in Sudbury.
Attracted to oak, maple, cherry and crab apple trees, gypsy moth caterpillars feast on the leaves, which weakens the trees and could kill the tree over time, said Taylor.
“There’s whole neighborhoods where oak trees are completely defoliated,” he said.
Chris White, foreman for Marlborough’s forestry, parks and cemetery division, said city officials have received upwards of 100 calls from residents reporting defoliated trees.
After surveying the city, Wood discovered a handful of areas, including spots on Boundary Street, Hayes Memorial Drive and Jackson Road, that have been hit particularly hard.
Areas of Milford, Southborough, Framingham and Sudbury have also been adversely affected by the pest, said Matt Shields, local manager for Bartlett Tree in Ashland.
“You can drive up (Interstate) 495 and see all the defoliated trees,” he said.
Charles Reneau, Milford’s tree warden, described many swaths of trees in his town as being “completely defoliated.”
With the populations already in full force, Shields and Reneau said it is likely too late for homeowners to protect their trees. Shields and Reneau advised homeowners to water and fertilize their trees in the early spring.
Taylor recommended using acelepryn instead of broad spectrum insecticides. Those insecticides, while effective and inexpensive, are toxic to bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
If dry conditions persist this summer, Reneau anticipates the population of gypsy moth caterpillars could be worse next year.
“They’ve been building for years,” said Reneau. “I suspect next year the infestation will be heavy.”
Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/20160619/metrowest-hit-hard-by-gypsy-moth-caterpillar
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