First instar gypsy moth caterpillar.
Photo: © Debbie Hadley, WILD Jersey

Last Friday, I sat in my backyard enjoying the sunshine, and subconsciously flicked a tiny black caterpillar off my knee. And off my arm. And my shirt. And out of my hair. That one finally got my attention, and I started looking around. A closer look at the garage revealed dozens more crawling up the siding. They had arrived, on Arbor Day, no less. The little buggers have a strange sense of humor.

The caterpillars, barely noticeable yet but present in good numbers, are gypsy moth caterpillars. The first wave emerged from their egg masses last week, and the tiny larvae are making their way to the newly emerged leaves of oak trees all over town. For the next two months, residents will contend with caterpillars dangling from silk threads and crawling on decks and siding. In a bad year, as we know we are due in my NJ town this year, the late instar caterpillars will completely defoliate our trees, and we'll be able to hear the frass hit the ground.

The wise folks who run my town decided to save the taxpayers a bit of money last year, and opted out of our state aerial spraying program. Each year in NJ, Bacillus thuringiensis is applied over areas where high gypsy moth numbers are predicted. Without the Bt to stop them, gypsy moth caterpillars had the run of our forests, parks, and backyards. A season without treatment allowed caterpillars to pupate, emerge, and reproduce. We've all been bracing ourselves for the onslaught, knowing this year will be even worse.

And now, after months of stormy town meetings and nasty editorials, they're here and we still aren't ready for them. We'll get our Bt spraying this year, but it's too little, too late. More to come...