Fall web worm case study
An infestation of fall webworm was detected in Mount Wellington (a suburb of Auckland) in 2003 including adult moths in 2004. A ground treatment programme was completed and declared eradicated in 2006 after a two-year monitoring period elapsed without further detections.
The problem: Significant exotic pest
A colony of fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea, Drury), a significant pest in North America and Europe, was detected in Mount Wellington, Auckland, in 2003, and adult moths were detected in early 2004.
Economic risk
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) estimated the potential economic impact of an established population of fall webworm moth at between $19 to $83 million over 20 years, with likely impacts on amenity plantings, horticulture, erosion control and shelter species.
The solution: $6m project
It cost $6.7 million to eradicate using a ground treatment programme. Ian Gear, now director of In Gear Global, managed the project.
Public awareness and assistance enlisted
As well as vegetation controls to help prevent the spread of fall webworm to a wider area, the campaign recognised the valuable part all New Zealanders play in biosecurity and extensive public awareness efforts were made to get residents in the detection area to look for the Fall webworm moths’ unique web structure in their garden trees and shrubs.
Schoolchildren and parents get involved
A theatrical production about the Fall web worm called "Gotcha" was seen by over 10,000 primary school student in the area, encouraging students who saw the play to talk about Fall web worm moth with their parents, and keep on the look out for it themselves.
Public awareness pays off
These public awareness efforts resulted in a number of calls to the MAF exotic pest and disease hotline 0800 number and added significantly to the programme, and confidence that fall webworm moth had been eradicated.
Sophisticated forensics separate new arrivals from earlier incursions
The application of forensic techniques was invaluable in the fall webworm project also when it was used to prove that moths caught in the latter part of the project were not from the earlier discovered incursion. DNA analysis and isotope testing of hydrogen and carbon molecules in the moths’ wing tissue confirmed those moths were new arrivals, most likely from Japan. These tools will continue to be invaluable into the future, as no guarantees can be made that fall webworm and other species will not continue to arrive.
The result:
The fall webworm was declared eradicated in early 2006 after two years of no further detections.
The problem: Significant exotic pest
A colony of fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea, Drury), a significant pest in North America and Europe, was detected in Mount Wellington, Auckland, in 2003, and adult moths were detected in early 2004.
Economic risk
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) estimated the potential economic impact of an established population of fall webworm moth at between $19 to $83 million over 20 years, with likely impacts on amenity plantings, horticulture, erosion control and shelter species.
The solution: $6m project
It cost $6.7 million to eradicate using a ground treatment programme. Ian Gear, now director of In Gear Global, managed the project.
Public awareness and assistance enlisted
As well as vegetation controls to help prevent the spread of fall webworm to a wider area, the campaign recognised the valuable part all New Zealanders play in biosecurity and extensive public awareness efforts were made to get residents in the detection area to look for the Fall webworm moths’ unique web structure in their garden trees and shrubs.
Schoolchildren and parents get involved
A theatrical production about the Fall web worm called "Gotcha" was seen by over 10,000 primary school student in the area, encouraging students who saw the play to talk about Fall web worm moth with their parents, and keep on the look out for it themselves.
Public awareness pays off
These public awareness efforts resulted in a number of calls to the MAF exotic pest and disease hotline 0800 number and added significantly to the programme, and confidence that fall webworm moth had been eradicated.
Sophisticated forensics separate new arrivals from earlier incursions
The application of forensic techniques was invaluable in the fall webworm project also when it was used to prove that moths caught in the latter part of the project were not from the earlier discovered incursion. DNA analysis and isotope testing of hydrogen and carbon molecules in the moths’ wing tissue confirmed those moths were new arrivals, most likely from Japan. These tools will continue to be invaluable into the future, as no guarantees can be made that fall webworm and other species will not continue to arrive.
The result:
The fall webworm was declared eradicated in early 2006 after two years of no further detections.