What management approach targets the precursor to the larval diet using physical barriers?
Answer
Placing sticky bands around trunks in the fall to stop flightless females
One specific management technique leverages the flightless nature of the adult female Winter Moth. Since the females cannot fly up into the canopy to deposit their eggs, they must crawl up the tree trunks from the ground. Therefore, placing physical barriers, such as sticky bands, around the tree trunks during the fall prevents these flightless females from ascending. By stopping the females from laying eggs on the branches above, this strategy effectively prevents the emergence of the destructive larval generation the following spring, targeting the reproductive phase rather than the subsequent feeding phase.
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