Dear Editor:
In May they were small in size and number. In June they were larger and getting hungry. By July, the Gypsy Moth Caterpillars had eaten hundreds of acres of foliage on trees of all kinds throughout Oscoda County. Our forest canopy was literally eaten alive. Helpless neighbors watched as millions of caterpillars crawled and dropped excrement on our decks, docks, boats, houses, cars, driveways, gardens, and even on our heads. Without exaggeration, it was a nightmare.
While some trees have re-leafed since then, the DNR and MSU Extension says, repeated annual defoliation by the gypsy moth caterpillars can weaken older trees, leaving them susceptible to extremes in weather, other predators, and disease. In a forest, it’s all part of the natural cycle of death and rebirth. But in populated areas, when mature trees die, we must cut them down before they fall on our houses or worse. But who can afford to replant the shady acres we love?
According to MSU Extension there’s a less costly option — springtime, large-scale aerial spraying with BTk. It’s a naturally occurring bacteria that specifically targets these caterpillars without harming other wildlife or beneficial insects. (Roscommon County already has an annual spray program.)
https://www.oscodacountymi.com fill out the form and send it back. We need widespread participation to keep the cost down for everyone. (Current estimate is $30-$50/acre.) The Oscoda County Conservation District (OCCD) is keeping a list of interested people and is lining up a company to do it. Expenses will either be all out of pocket or in combination as a cost share with the Oscoda County’s Gypsy Moth Control Millage Proposal on November’s ballot. Let’s not live through one more nightmare spring! Contact the OCCD, now.
Thank you, for getting this word out to Oscoda property owners!
Pam Nagel
Lewiston
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