Don't Let Gypsy Moths Ruin Your Trees This Fall

It's that time of the year again when gypsy moths begin to take over your trees. Nutri-Lawn Vancouver understands that gypsy moths can be a huge hassle to control and prevent with your Vancouver lawn care. Fortunately, they're not impossible to eliminate. With due diligence and patience, you'll be saying goodbye to gypsy moths in no time. All it takes are some great Nutri-Lawn Vancouver lawn care services and a slightly adjusted daily routine at home. Read on to find out how to protect your trees.

Defining the gypsy moth

Gypsy moth damage appears on trees, particularly the leaves. Once a gypsy moth population has moved in on your yard, your trees will become more vulnerable to disease and other insect infestations. Though many of these can be prevented and corrected with Nutri-Lawn Vancouver lawn care, it's better to avoid weakened trees if possible. Begin elimination as soon as you see the infestation inhabiting the tree. Their eggs are in large masses across the trunk and branches, which makes an infestation easy to spot.

What makes the gypsy moth so frustrating is that it isn't technically native to Canada. It can often take generations before natural predators of non-native species begin to appear or congregate in the species' new environment.

Fortunately, the gypsy moth has been in Canada since around 1869, and birds have begun to feed on gypsy moths to a degree. Also because of their rapid population growth, Vancouver lawn care services, such as Nutri-Lawn Vancouver, have come up with effective prevention and control methods to tackle the problem.

When to expect an infestation

Around early September, you will have begun to notice the moth egg masses congregating on your tree trunks. These masses mature over the fall and winter months until April when they finally hatch. It's best to eliminate the masses before they have the chance to become fully-fledged moths.

Strengthen your roots with Vancouver lawn care

The best prevention and protection against gypsy moths is to strength your trees' root systems. Strong roots lessen the possibility of dealing with vulnerable trees following an infestation. If you don't already, irrigate your tree roots once a week. Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking that their trees don't need to be watered. However, watering your tree is just as important as watering your grass. To stop your tree from stealing all of the water from your lawn, trees should have separate nozzles set up for them.

Once you've watered your tree, you'll want to retain that moisture. Lay down a bed of mulch around the base of your tree. Mulch will prevent evaporation, while also acting as a protective layer surrounding your tree roots. Talk to Nutri-Lawn Vancouver about the types of mulch you can find for your tree base.

Getting rid of the problem

Once you see egg masses, don't hesitate to vacuum them off your tree. You can also hose these off, or scrape the eggs into tubs of hot sudsy water.

Next, attract birds to your trees with bird feeders and birdbaths. Eventually, the birds will begin to feed on the eggs or the caterpillars if the eggs have been allowed to hatch.

If none of this works, you have two other options for caterpillar control. The first is to force the caterpillars to stick to the tree with sticky paper. Once they've stuck, you can vacuum them up or hose them down. Next, wrap burlap around the trunk and tie a rope around the center. When the top half flops down over the bottom half, this will create a perfect hiding spot for caterpillars. After they've crawled inside, you can then eliminate them.

Don't let your trees succumb to gypsy moths this fall. Bring in the best Nutri-Lawn Vancouver lawn care services to harbour strong, healthy trees. Receive your complimentary quote from Nutri-Lawn Vancouver for our time-tested Vancouver lawn care.