Females lay eggs during the summer months on everything ranging from outdoor furniture to vehicles; and it’s the latter that can carry the eggs unknowingly from state to state. Egg masses are about 1 1/2 inches long and about 3/4 inches wide and are covered with buff colored hairs from the moth’s body.There are approximately 3,000 fruit fly traps and 1,000 traps for Japanese beetles and Gypsy Moths throughout Ventura County that are constantly monitored.McPhail asked that if you notice extensive defoliation of your trees, caterpillars with blue and red dots on their bodies feeding on leaves or branches, or buff-colored egg masses on tree trunks, to call the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner office at 933-3165.
Gypsy Moth found in Meiners Oaks
July 14, 2000
Santa Paula News
The latest in a string of pests that nobody wants has been found in Ventura County and officials are strongly urging the public to help in spotting them: The Gypsy Moth, a voracious pest of a variety of trees, has made its way to Meiners Oaks with a pair of males trapped last week, according to Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail.
McPhail is asking the public to be aware and alert the Agricultural Commissioner’s office of any suspected sightings.The pair of Gypsy Moths was found July 6, and shipped to a Sacramento lab for positive identification. The Department of Food & Agriculture Laboratory confirmed July 10 that the two were indeed the dreaded Gypsy Moth.Ag department detection specialists have already placed additional traps in the four square miles surrounding the find.The Gypsy Moth feeds on a wide variety of ornamentals but prefers to feed on oak, apple, alder, aspen, basswood, hawthorn, willow, birch, pine and spruce. Millions of acres of forests are defoliated annually by the moth, a voracious feeder, mostly in New England states. Due to its destructive potential - and that the find in Meiners Oaks is near the Las Padres National Forest - early detection is very important.McPhail said he was not surprised at the find, although the closest large infestation of Gypsy Moth is in Virginia where it has nibbled away a whopping 200,000 acres of trees.“Hopefully we’re dealing with an isolated incident,” he noted but although the ag department is trying to trace the route of the moths found in Meiners Oaks, “they’re great riders. . .the females lay their eggs on anything,” and the moths are spread through the egg stage.
