Each year the MDA sets around 20,000 gypsy moth traps throughout Minnesota to find out where gypsy moth populations exist. The MDA's trapping program is closely tied to the insect's biology. The female does not fly so she uses a pheromone, or sex attractant, to lure the male moth to her for mating. Although humans can't detect the scent of the pheromone, it is a powerful attractant to the male gypsy moth.
Trapping is done to detect the presence of the moth rather than for control. The traps are set before the adult moths fly, are monitored throughout the summer, and are removed after the flight season is finished. Data are collected about the location of the trap and the number of moths caught in it, if any. The data are then used to determine if gypsy moth infestations exist and to give an idea of how widely the population is dispersed.
 MDA trappers deploy triangular weatherproof cardboard traps with a lure inside that mimics the natural pheromone of the female moth. The male moth flies to the trap to mate but instead ends up ensnared in a sticky substance inside the trap.
30-40 trappers are employed each summer to set, check and remove the traps. It is a full-time seasonal position that requires considerable driving and the ability to work outdoors in all kinds of weather.
Job Opportunities
Check out opportunities to be a gypsy moth trapper.
Trapping in Minnesota
The gypsy moth trapping program concentrates on the eastern border of the state because the natural movement of the main population is moving westward from Wisconsin. However, we also trap high-risk businesses, such as mills and nurseries, throughout the state.
Trapping over the years has shown us where gypsy moth populations are starting up, building, and moving.
MDA Contact
Arrest the Pest Hotline
888-545-6684
gypsy.moth@state.mn.us
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