WhatFinger


Pesticides, aerial spraying

Moths Anyone?



If you still own items made from (real) wool, you’ll likely have noticed the lack of adequate moth sprays. The stuff you can buy these days barely annoys them. It sure does not prevent damage to your woolen items.
I happen to own a few textiles, some about a hundred years old, which I would like to preserve for posterity. Naturally (pardon the pun), they are made of real wool, but good moth spray is no longer on the market.

Kinds of Moths

There are many kinds of moths--actually thousands of different species--including some colorful large moths such as the spectacular luna moth, the cecropia and sphinx moths. The latter are all fun to see, but the very small wool, fur, and silk-eating moths (Tinoella sp.) are a pain when you get them inside your home; especially when you want to protect your items from being eaten by their larvae.

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What Changed?

A few years ago, with all the fervor of “being green”, manufacturers of the previously available trusted moth sprays decided to stop production. When I inquired with one of these companies about a substitute, all I got was a wishy-washy reference to their general line of insecticides. However, those products are not worth the effort; the critters just laugh at that stuff. In desperation, I even imported some pheromone traps from overseas. They are paper foils coated with both moth attractants and sticky glue. They do work, but only for some very specific species and not well for the common wool-eating moth. Other than keeping a close watch and taking steps to prevent the moths from getting to your woolens in the first place, there is not much else you can do. Any good household used to have a cedar-lined chest to store the moth’s delicacies over the summer, but even the chests are becoming rare antiques now and not everything could be stored that way either.

Gypsy Moths

Another kind of moth is the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). It is not native to North America, but has been introduced by people who hoped to create an American silk-producing industry some one hundred years ago. The project did not work out as envisaged and the moths decided to go it alone. What had not been anticipated at the time was that the moths would find a great ecological niche – unoccupied. Certain hardwood trees, walnut, cherry, oak and maple were attacked with fervor by their larvae, but, most importantly there are no natural enemies around. The gypsy moth caterpillars sport stiff bristles that make them unpalatable for the birds (see figure). The yellow to brown colored egg masses are not eaten either by either birds or insects. As a consequence, the gypsy moths flourished beyond expectations and have become a major pest. Every few years now, especially after a mild winter, there is a great “invasion” of gypsy moths. In some areas they devour every leaf of every hardwood tree in sight. When they are done with those, they’ll go on to coniferous trees. I have seen whole swaths of forests denuded of any foliage that way. Only very healthy trees have enough reserves to sprout another set of leaves or needles and survive to the next year, but many do not and die from these outbreaks. To combat the gypsy moths, aerial spraying of forests with Bacillus thuringiensis has provided some relief, but not enough. Furthermore, I suspect that this organism is less specific against gypsy moths than claimed by its proponents and has substantial side effects.

It’s Moth Season Again

It’s the season again when the moths will emerge from their cocoons. When they swarm in the evening outside of your window, better keep the doors and windows closed. Even then, they are likely to find their way inside. Of course, the whole problem with inadequate pesticides is more widespread than just moths. There is a continent-wide lack of effective insecticides and other pesticides to combat bed bugs, disease-carrying insects, termites and ants which affect structures, livestock, and people, as well as agricultural crops. Their seasonal appearance must put a real fright into most museum curators. Chemistry had provided highly effective and low-cost pesticides for many years in the past, but short-sighted city elders banned most in order to be seen as “green”. Many cities now forbid the use of the effective products that were available in the past. What you now get qualifies essentially just as repellants. They don’t destroy the pests; they just make them move to the neighbors for a couple of days’ vacation. Then they return with renewed vigor.

From a Distance

From a distance, it all looks wonderful, “green” and natural, but if you have to live with an invasion of undesired guests to your property, munching on your keepsakes and plants, your green feelings may quickly turn to red rage. We need some effective pesticides again and soon!


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Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser -- Bio and Archives

Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser is author of CONVENIENT MYTHS, the green revolution – perceptions, politics, and facts Convenient Myths


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