No...information I've seen is that Hemlock is a non-preferred host for older gypsy moths when other food sources are gone. Unfortunately, wikipedia indicated 90% mortality rate for completely defoliated Hemlock.

Hemlocks can back bud somewhat. How bad was the damage?

tj

Right now it's not bad but they've eaten almost all my trees around my yard I've never seen it this bad.

I'm going to the store and wrap them tommorrow. I didn't think the caterpillars would go in them but I saw the dead ones on the trunk and saw there making there way to them.

it would be interesting to know what your local COUNTY extension office has to say about it ...you cant be the only person in the area with this problem ...

could you let us know???

ken

Where are you located btw & how wet/dry has your spring been to this point?

Wet is good...maybe not for this year but for next at least. In wet springs the introduced Entomophaga maimaiga fungus can cause very rapid gypsy moth population crashes. It may be too late this year but the fungus will kill even pupating larvae.

Though introduced to specifically kill gypsy moths as early as 1910, E. maimaiga hasn't been reliable because it apparently needs specific weather conditions to cause widespread gypsy moth mortality. The whole experiment was actually deemed a failure until 1989, when all of a sudden, caterpillars killed by E. maimaiga were showing up all across the NE.

Hopefully the fungus has taken hold in your wet spring and crash the population in time for next spring.