Gypsy Moth Eradication in Pacific Coast States: History and Evaluation

No forest insect in the United States has been the target of more research and control than the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.). Eradication of this pest was last attempted in the northeastern United States in the late 1950s (Dunlap 1980). Management efforts there now seek to provide foliage protection of high-value trees. Some states more distant from the general infestation, most notably the Pacific Coast states, are pursuing a policy of total elimination of sparse infestations as they are identified. This eradication policy is controversial because of its failure in the eastern United States and because of citizen opposition to repeated applications of the broad-spectrum insecticides typically used in eradication programs.