Hungry caterpillars - Massachusetts being devoured - One species is sated; 3 still ravaging leaves

Boston Globe ^ | June 21, 2005 | Megan Tench

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Lord, save us from the experts.

[SIDENET]

Bush's fault!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Of course.

Global warming must be lurking in this mix.

[mewzilla]

Researchers are still working on ways to control the large number of winter moth caterpillars in the region.

It'll be interesting to see how enviroweenies wage war.

[CzarNicky]

If there was a caterpillar that would devour Massachusetts I wouldn't have a problem with it. It might get AIDS though.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

People are struggling with asthma in cities because they planted male (pollen making) trees all over the place.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Or high on all the marijuana.

[TGOGary]

No surprise to me, after all we all know Ted has eaten the worm a few times.

[SIDENET]

Massachusetts needs a good locust plague. Then they'll stop whining about caterpillars.

[kenth]

My plan is working. Chew my pretties, chew.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This should keep Mass LIBERALS occupied for awhile.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

LOL

[Fierce Allegiance]

I remember in the early 80's how the gypsy moth caterpillars almost completely devoured all the trees in western mass. I was racing in Upstate New York, and every week on our ride out on the Mass Pike, we could clearly see how much they had eaten. By the middle of August, the trees were almost as bare as in winter

[martin_fierro]

I, for one, am glad to see that the moth has been regulated.

(whatever the hell that means)

[DuncanWaring]

They wiped out eastern Mass and southern New Hampshire, too.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

“and it is not quite as bad as in the 1980s, when gypsy moth caterpillars were more widespread and were found everywhere from sidewalks to screen doors”

This brings back memories! Trucks cruising around spraying eveything in sight with pesticides, guys with homemade flamethrowers taking out entire trees to kill one nest. You couldn't walk 2 feet with squishing 500 of those things, and they would spray their guts everywhere. I have some funny memories of these little terrors. When I was a kid they were used as slingshot ammo or were scooped up in handfuls and dumped in the nearest girls hair.

[Fierce Allegiance]

It seemed like it was always raining, because you could hear their poop falling through what was left of the leaves.

My little brother used to fill big clear bgas of them and ride his bike over the bag. They were everywhere.

[Blogatron]

What kind of wine goes with Massachusetts?

[motormouth]

I remember that too!!
Every tree had duct tape wrapped around their trunks so the little critters couldnt make it to the leaves..They were YUCK!

[SIDENET]

This should keep Mass LIBERALS occupied for awhile.

LOL! Didn't I say Liberals? I was sure that I meant to.