Gypsy Moth; a dark side of warmer winters

[penumbra]

Lyme disease is usually no big deal. I've had it twice, and both times, a round of antibiotics brought it to a swift end. Occasionally, it is resistant to antibiotic treatment, and it persists for years. Doctors are often unfamiliar with the persistent form and struggle to effectively treat it. I've learned from a friend with a persistent case of Lyme that it takes persistence on the part of the patient to get access to effective treatment. She's had it for years and requires regular rounds of antibiotics to suppress it.

Yep. It can certainly be systemic, or persistent. There are some researchers who claim if you get it, you will always have it. And yet most practicing physicians do not agree with this. So I hope your swift end to it is right, but mine has been quiet for up to and maybe more than a decade at times. My first case was well over twenty years ago. Then it was a big deal and I knew a couple of people who ended up in wheel chairs. A rather well known Marshall Arts instructor I knew, Mary Painter died after suffering for many years. Those were the early days and I wonder if our bodies haven't learned better how to cope with it. I think what is going on now is a milder strain as happens with most such diseases. Though we are each on our own paths, often sharing experiences can be helpful.
I never meant this post to turn to Lyme, but as ticks are more prevalent with mild winters, I suppose it was inevitable. I am done with the topic now.

 

[Cajunrider]

@penumbra I totally feel your pain. We have been in a Gypsy Moth (or Spongy Moth as they are now called, I guess) population explosion for the past few years. 30 years ago we had it so bad that entire swathes of oak forest were defoliated. I can somewhat mitigate the damage to my landscape oaks by wrapping the trunks with burlap. Then every day I go out with my trusty crucible tongs from back in my chemistry days and pick off all the caterpillars that are snoozing under the burlap, dropping them into a jug of soapy water. 30 years ago I counted the caterpillars that I exterminated and I stopped counting at 15,000. I got so mad one day that I fired up my portable propane torch and burned all the ones I could see, but then quickly realized that was not so good for the tree bark. In our family, we called it "Worm Rage"LOL.

We cannot use our deck because of the poop rain. It is especially gross when real rain makes all the poops mushy >gag< AFAIK there is nothing that preys upon them and no pesticide that works (that is still legal). I think the population might be close to collapse this year and I hope so for you too.

Back in the old days, for the skeeters and anything flying rage, I used a pump sprayer filled with kerosene and a candle rigged up 2" away from the spray nozzle. I could spray out a fire ball on demand that burned all their wings and dropped them immediately.
There is nothing like walking into a swarm with my fireball thrower. I'm pretty sure @namnhi and @vp999 are old enough to have done some of this.

 

[Paradox]

Sorry I hijacked your thread @penumbra

 

[Cajunrider]

Sorry I hijacked your thread @penumbra

I don't think @penumbra minds. When we talk about destroying moths and bugs, it is still kinda subject related.