Gypsy moth traps to be set throughout much of the state

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will soon set 20,300 traps in the state in their quest to find out where gypsy moths live.

Most of the traps, which will be baited with a pheromone that attracts males, will be located in the eastern half of the state and some spots in south central and southwestern Minnesota.

While the majority of the traps are small, some the size of milk cartons will be placed in Lake and Cook counties because of a higher concentration of gypsy moths located here.

After years of treating the invasive pests, the MDA called for quarantine in Lake and Cook counties in the spring of 2014 after trappers caught 71,258 gypsy moths statewide in 2013, 90 percent of which were located in the Tip of the Arrowhead.

With the quarantine, Minnesota became the 21st state to call for a partial or full quarantine of gypsy moths. A voracious leaf eater, the moths damage and sometimes kill trees when they strip them of their leaves. And because they are not native to North America, they have few natural enemies to keep their numbers in check.

The goal of the trapping program is to identify the areas that will need treatments and then set a plan to try to slow their growth in those areas.

Earlier this month treatments for gypsy moths was held in parts of Duluth, Cloquet, and Two Harbors. Trapping should end by July.