TRAPPERS IN SEARCH OF THE PESKY GYPSY MOTH

James Gosche gathered his traps and headed into the woods of Southeast Missouri this summer. He is on the trail of one of the nation's peskiest insects, the gypsy moth.

This year employees of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Department of Conservation, the University of Missouri and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will set more than 10,000 orange traps on trees throughout Missouri to count gypsy moths.

Bollinger County is getting extra attention because a gypsy moth was trapped there last summer.

"We did have a positive find in Bollinger County," explained Mike Brown, state entomologist with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. "It isn't cause for panic or anything, but we have found a moth."

The moth, which was introduced to the United States over 100 years ago, is a concern to agriculture and conservation because of its voracious appetite for tree leaves. It's favorite food is oak and other tree species' leaves prevalent throughout the Missouri Ozarks.

"If the gypsy moth could look ahead and see Missouri, it would see the ultimate salad bar, a smorgasbord of potential food," Brown said.

An infestation will kill trees and greatly inhibit the outdoor appeal of an area. If especially numerous, the gypsy moths' waste will cover picnic tables and trails and can contaminate water supplies.

"I've heard reports that it sounds like it is raining because of fecal material dropping from the trees," Brown said.

The annual trapping is intended to determine whether a population has become established in Missouri.

"It is nearly impossible to eradicate the insect once it becomes established, so prevention is critical," Brown said. "What we find in the traps will let us known whether we have a problem that requires immediate action or whether we're in good shape for another year. This is one of the few times that a trapper hopes to return to an empty trap."

In 1998, 17 moths were found in nine traps, up from 13 moths found in 1997.

Birds and rodents feed on the moths at different life stages. "But not to the degree to keep the population in check," Brown said.

Gosche, a Cape Girardeau college student, is among dozens of moth trappers who will spend the summer setting traps, checking traps and then retrieving the traps. He found the moth in Bollinger County last summer.

As a result, an extra 64 traps wil be set in a four-mile area where the moth was found.

Bollinger County will have another 200 traps set. In Cape Girardeau County, just over 100 are in place. Perry County has about 85.

Most of the moths that have been found in Missouri were probably brought to the state by traveling vehicles or household moves, which is how the gypsy moth got its nickname.

The female gypsy moth attaches egg masses containing 100 to 1,000 eggs to almost anything. Travel trailers, lawn chairs, cars and river barges are safe havens for the moth's eggs, which can be transported hundreds of miles by unsuspecting travelers.

The St. Louis area and Stone and Taney counties in Southwest Missouri are at high risk because of the volume of tourist activity.

The closest infestations are in Wisconsin and Michigan, and all points east. The moths are spreading into northern Illinois and Indiana.

Anyone returning home from vacation should check their vehicle and equipment for egg masses, Brown said. An egg mass is about the size of a quarter, buff colored and fuzzy or velvety. Eggs can be laid on just about anything from a spare tire to firewood.

"The best thing to do is just scrape it off and destroy it," Brown said.

Gypsy moths were first brought to the United States in 1869 in hopes of crossbreeding with silkworms to make a better commercial silk.

The moths escaped from an open upstairs window and have been spreading across the country since.

The moth was originally from Europe. An Asian gypsy moth has also found its way to the Northwest and is making inroads through Washington and Oregon.

"They are coming at us from both sides," Brown said.

"It is going to be something we have to deal with, but the longer we can delay the gypsy moth in Missouri the better," Brown said.