Slow the Spread: a national program to manage the gypsy moth

The gypsy moth is a destructive, nonindigenous pest of forest, shade, and fruit trees that was introduced into the United States in 1869, and is currently established throughout the Northeast and upper Midwest. The Slow the Spread Program is a regional integrated pest management strategy that aims to minimize the rate of gypsy moth spread into uninfested areas. The premise of the Slow the Spread Program is to deploy extensive grids of pheromone-baited traps (>100,000 traps per year) along the expanding population front to identify and subsequently eradicate newly establishing populations to prevent them from growing, coalescing, and contributing to the progression of the population front. This report provides a brief history of the gypsy moth in North America, describes the dynamics of gypsy moth spread, and then details the technological and operational aspects of implementing the Slow the Spread Program.