Rapacious Gypsy Moths, Now in a Tree Near You

Thank the French for the pestilent gypsy moth. It was Etienne Leopold Trouvelot who brought the insect to the U.S. in the 1860s before accidentally releasing them into the wild. The gypsy moth is now infesting its way across New England, Michigan and large swaths of the South.

Currently, state environmental officials in New York say trees along the east side of the Hudson River, near West Point, are at risk of defoliation — oak trees in particular.

"They take away all the leaves, and the trees can’t generate enough energy to survive," said Jerry Carlson, Director of the Forest Health Program at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

In addition to the risk the moths pose to trees, Carlson said their urticating hairs can elicit a severe allergic response, and even hospitalize some people with asthma.