PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A researcher at the University of Rhode Island says the rainy spring could have a silver lining: fewer gypsy moth caterpillars.
Heather Faubert tells WJAR-TV (https://bit.ly/2qFhwzU ) that rain activates a fungus that kills gypsy moth caterpillars.
Trees defoliated by gypsy moths can become stressed and die. An infestation of gypsy moths last year was one of the largest in the region since the 1980s.
Faubert says that by the end of this month, she expects almost all of the caterpillars to be dead from fungal disease.
She says that also means that the population of gypsy moths is likely to be at a normal level next year because of this year’s rains.
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