Spongy Moth, Gypsy Moth

Seeing no further comments after 9 yrs means what?
Trees don't have to die from gypsy moth. Even in the wild.

gypsy moths have gotten to Illinois and are taking over. the ILL forestry department refuses to join the slow the spread coalition which would entitle us to federal compensation for the spraying and enable us to get the correct effective and safe product gyp-check (the species specific virus that keeps populations low in europe and the rest of the country uses) which is created by the national forest service. Illinois as of now will only consider using btk a harmful chemical to all butterflys with questionable health effects and its not even effective. I am a botany student at the university of vermont, i am from chicago ILL and I have never had so many adults be as rude to me as my state foresters. some one is defiantly making money from ILL not joining the gypsy moth coalitions.

The worst leaf eating caterpillar. I live near the mountains, and in peak years they kill large patches of trees. you can see large bare spots on the mountains for years. This is a peak year for tent caterpillars in my area, and you cant take 2 steps with out steping on one, or seeing 10! but i would rather deal with then then Gypsy moths. I have a Purple columnar beech tree near my pond, its at leat 6 ft tall. and in a week the gypsy's have almost destroyed it. I cant spray because of the pond, so i have been picking them off.