"We have a long way to go catching up with the literally trillions of winter moths that are out there."

Scientists to launch attack on winter moths in Wellesley
May 8, 2008 01:56 PM
(Robert D. Childs/University of Massachusetts)
Scientists hope Cyzenis albicans will attack the winter moths -- and save the trees.
By Globe Staff
A team of scientists will release 1,000 parasitic flies tomorrow in Wellesley, in the latest counterattack against the invasion of winter moths, the voracious insects that are stripping trees of foliage in parts of eastern Massachusetts.
It's the fourth and largest release of the flies. The flies were previously released in Hingham, Falmouth, and Wenham, said Joseph Elkinton, the professor of entomology at UMass-Amherst who is leading the effort.
Clouds of the moths have been seen in recent years fluttering around people's porch lights from Thanksgiving into early January. But they're more than just a nuisance: In their caterpillar stage in the spring they can defoliate trees, said Elkinton.
"These are a serious problem because it's been going on in a number of places for almost a decade. ... This can really kill trees," he said, noting that the moths have also damaged blueberry crops.
The fly, Cyzenis albicans, is a natural enemy of the winter moth and has been used in other places to stop winter moth invasions. The scientists believe the fly will only attack the winter moth and not other species. It will take years, however, for the number of flies to catch up with the number of moths.
The project is a joint effort between UMass, the federal government, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Plymouth County Cooperative Extension.
"We have a long way to go catching up with the literally trillions of winter moths that are out there," Elkinton said.

This reminds me of that episode of the Simpsons where Springfield is overrun with Bolivian Tree Lizard so to they release snakes to eat them, then when the town is overrun by snakes they will send in Gorillas. Yeah, this reminds me of that.

Plus the release of a thousand parasites of any kind is always a fantastic idea.