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Old 11-28-2015, 12:11 PM   #9
FishermanTim
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hyde Park, MA
Posts: 4,152
They are definitely an invasive species.
The only effective treatment is spring spraying to kill the caterpillars.
You can try to control the moths, but since they can and will travel from other yards to yours, you would be fighting an uphill losing battle. (I know because I tried once.)

Reminds me of another invasive species from years ago.
The red lily leaf beetle was imported from Asia (starting point was Cambridge, MA) and they have spread throughout the eastern seaboard. They have no native predators, reproduce constantly, can defoliate all species of lilies EXCEPT daylilies.
What makes these little bastards so disgusting is that once they hatch, they begin to cover themselves with their own feces for protection.

I have only one tiger lily remaining from the half dozen I originally planted. They have already killed all the Easter lilies we've planted over the years a well.

Well, hopefully the parasitic flies will do their work without displacing any native species in the process!

I am a legend in my own mind!
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