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Reader enjoys gypsy moth article

By Anna Victoria Reich Stafford
Published: August 07, 2008

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This was a very interesting article in section B , page 9 on the gypsy moth. The gypsy moth has returned and our oak trees are being stripped of their leaves.

This problem seems to have been happening since 1984 and has worsened this year due to the drought of the last two years.

The drought has been damaging the fungus that eats the larvae of the moth, which then will eat the leaves off the tree. Without this fungus there is a huge amount of larvae meaning that more of the trees are losing their leaves and dying out.

Hopefully, this year’s and next spring’s rain, can help get the fungus going again and save some of the oak trees and other trees. It is also great to hear that the Virginia Department of Forestry Department is watching over the forests and seeing the changes and saying that the change that has been happening is good. We may have less oak trees, but we will have more tulip poplars and maple trees. This way this will build a better forest that will ward off the disease of
the gypsy moth.

Thank you Stafford County Sun for the interesting article and all of the information that has been provided about the gypsy moth.