Prevention & Care

Take the following steps to protect and care for your trees:

Remove objects around the outside of the home that provide shelter for gypsy moth larvae and pupae, such as flaps of bark, dead tree branched, dead trees, boxes, cans, or old tires.
Diversify the composition of trees and plants on your property to include species not preferred by the gypsy moth.
Destroy egg masses found on outbuildings, on fencing, or in woodpiles. Simply scraping egg masses onto the ground will not destroy them. Burn them or soak them in kerosene or soapy water, or plant them with commercially available products, such as liquid detergents. Caution is urged because the hairs that coat the egg masses can cause allergic reactions.
Place burlap on trees to provide shelter for older larvae when they seek out protected resting places during the day. The number of larvae and pupae under the burlap provides valuable information about the severity of infestation on your property. When populations are sparse, larvae and pupae beneath burlap can be manually destroyed.
Use barrier bands, consisting of double-sided sticky tapes or sticky material such as Tangle Foot, petroleum jelly, or grease to prevent larvae from crawling up the trunks of susceptible trees. These products should be applied to the surface of an impermeable material, such as duct tape or tar paper, and not applied directly to the bark. Petroleum-based products can cause injury (swelling and cankering) on thin-barked trees.

Notify the village for verification or for more information.

If You Suspect Your Trees May be Infested

Please notify the Village of Lisle Public Works Department.

Additional Information

For More Information on the Gypsy Moth, check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture online resource.