Quote:
Originally Posted by PRBuzz
I have those critters all over my lilies (what little is left of them) and wondered what they were. Thanks.
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plant day lilies they don't effect those, as they are not really a Lily but a decent alternative and require no maintenance at all other than splitting every few years. Pretty much impossible to kill them, they thrive on neglect. The true lilies are effected and I find them not worth putting in anymore IMO which is a shame as I used to have many.
Trying to trap them, winter moths that is, is a noble idea but with the mass quantity of them it is a waste of your time IMO.
Winter moths
in March look for tiny orange egg clusters scattered on tree trunks and branches. You can apply a perfectly timed hort. oil spray but good luck trying to get up high in a tree. With the amount of moths I am seeing it is a waste of time and money. When the little larvae are feeding on foliage you can apply BT, but again you are not going to be able to get up in the canopy of the trees so good luck. Fruit trees can be managed because the are small but large oaks and such forget about it. If you are real adamant about controlling them you will need to call in a pro to have your trees sprayed with a BT and or Spinosad product, which can only be sprayed by a licensed pro, arborist. Sucks having your whole yard covered with chemicals. I have done it and last time it cost me $400.00 and it is not 100 percent effective. If your neighbor doesn't do it they can come into your yard via wind direction, thus the name gypsy It is very expensive to have done and then after a month or so you got Gypsy moths to contend with so it is a losing battle. Just have to hope mother nature comes to the rescue with some kind of natural control. There is a natural occurring fungus in the soil that will kill off the gypsy moth but the winter moth has no known natural control. The infestation will be bad for a few years and then it will slow to only come back heavy again several years later. It goes in cycles. I control them with Sevin that I spray on my fruit trees and blueberries. I don't have the equipment to do large trees , thus the licensed pro with the heavy duty sprayer. You can buy Sevin at Lowes and such and spray yourself but it is a toxin so be very careful and read the directions as it can effect beneficial insects. I hate using any such products on something I am going to eat but it has to be done. The problem with winter moths compared to gypsy moths is they start very early and go into the bud, which is pretty much undetectable until it is too late. Like all spraying you need to time it perfectly or it is a waste. Contact your local County Extension Service for more info as that is what they are there for. I hate the buggers.