They are sparse in my area this year, for some reason. I know that birds have been feasting on them over the past years, but that couldn't be enough to keep the moths in check.

The infestation here seems light too; I was wondering if the lack of cold weather on the cape (so far) was confusing them. Maybe they aren't sure it's really winter yet.

I've been wanting to say the same thing myself, but am fearful that admitting it will bring the hordes on. I thot they would flourish in the relatively warm weather...???

If my failing memory serves last xmas eve was extremely warm and the moths were as thick as snow. I believe I had only been seeing them for the week prior so it could be any day now.

They've been here just north of the Cape Cod Canal for about a week or two, altlhough not in great quantities. The woodpeckers and a nuthatch have been busy on the trees, so I hope they're eating the moths.

Claire

claire, thanks so much for posting this. i have just given my prepayment-for-discount order to boston tree preservation for their winter moth spraying next spring. we have 30-plus jap maples and lots of acer varieties, cherries, and aeschulus pavea- their favorite. last year even with repeat spraying, we still had a LOT of damage/near defoliation. it is the single most upsetting experience i have ever had in my 30 yrs of gardening. sigh.
maybe i should start a letter-writing cmpaign to get patrick duval to reinstate, and INCREASE the cape cod research work on this horrific moth.......

The good news is that the researchers already know of a predatory fly that feeds on these moths and does an excellent job of controlling their populations, but the trick is raising enough of them quickly enough to put this plague to a quick end. The Canadians introduced this fly in Nova Scotia many years ago when winter moth first showed up there (back in the 40's or 50's I think). At first the fly population also explodes, but after that its numbers fall even further than the moth does and then finding them can be tricky. I may be mistaken, but I think that's what the Massachusetts folks are dealing with now.

This tunnel definitely has a light at its end, but the question is how long it will take to get there.

Hi Claire,

Oh My, YES! They are back! I was in CT for the last week+ and have returned to many, many Winter Moths. They flutter at the windows and seem very content to do their Winter Moth 'thing'.

Digger...I don't know where you are on the Cape but in Brewster...we got 'um.

Sooey

I just got back from mailing some Christmas cards (after dark) and I was startled by how few winter moths were flying. Many fewer than a week ago. I had noticed last night that there were few moths around the Christmas lights, but didn't check other areas.

It's possible some or even most of my moths are fall cankerworm moths which should be slowing down now. The few moths that rested on my window looked like winter moths though.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Claire

or maybe they're Bruce Spanworm moths .... I've been looking at photos of each and I'm confused.

Claire

I also noticed a collapse in the winter moths a few weeks ago. I have not seen a single moth in weeks--which is a surprise given the many warm damp evenings we have had lately. Maybe this is good news on a more regional basis? We can only hope.

Practically none here now in southern Plymouth.

Sooey:
Are you still seeing them in Brewster?

Nan/DtD:
How about Falmouth?

kt:
and do we have a report from Martha's Vineyard?

Claire

Hi Claire! There are still some here, but nothing like what we saw last year. I'm sure there will be damage next spring, but I plan to use BT again on the small trees and shrubs that I know are WM favorites.

I recently ran into an entemologist who works for the state, and was really shocked to find that she didn't know BT is effective against winter moths. I would not use it indiscriminately, but it is so safe, effective, and easy to apply that it keeps me from worrying too much about these pests.

Hi Gang :)
IÂM THE NEW-B!!! 2-15-07 In romantic Willimantic CT. I havenÂt seen any Winter moths yet in CT but I wasnÂt looking for them this past year. Although I think I saw some just east (1 or 2 towns over) of Springfield MA., in the late spring of 06 when I was on the landscapes.
Anything in CT yet or any hyper-link of migration?

Happy belated Valentines Day every one.

I've hardly seen any all winter. Quite happy about it, too.

Adult winter moths are now gone to winter moth heaven - they don't survive cold weather. The big question is whether they left any eggs stuck to trees. Sometime in March or April the eggs will hatch and release caterpillars to pillage the forest.

There was an apparent sudden decline in winter moths in December, so there's hope that some natural enemy is attacking them.

Claire

Claire's right, we mostly see them flying in ... November and through December on mild evenings. I'm definitely planning to use BT early and often this spring; it works quite well on the larvae without harming the environment (as long as its not sprayed on butterfly plants during the larval stages of the various butterflies, that is).