The caterpillar infestation continues to spread in Tan Ky.

Following a path opened by locals to transport acacia wood through the mountains, we entered the acacia forest area of ​​Nguyen Trai hamlet, Nghia Hanh commune (Tan Ky). From afar, we could see the acacia forests bare of leaves, resembling dead, dry branches.

Along both sides of the road, there are many acacia forests, 1-2 years old. Although the leaves are still green, a closer look reveals many caterpillars on the leaves that have been gnawed at.

Ms. Mai Thi Le, an agricultural official in Nghia Hanh commune, said that in mid-April, people discovered that some acacia forests had been stripped bare of leaves by caterpillars. After assessing the situation, the commune conducted an inspection and found that up to 31 hectares of acacia forest were severely infested.

Immediately afterwards, the local authorities reported the matter to the relevant agencies. The District Agricultural Service Center and the Plant Protection and Crop Production Sub-Department directly inspected the area and provided guidance to the local people on how to control this caterpillar pest that damages acacia trees.

While local authorities and residents were unable to implement control measures, the caterpillars continued to multiply rapidly. By the end of May, the area of ​​acacia forest infested with caterpillars was estimated at approximately 100 hectares, belonging to 42 households in Nguyen Trai hamlet. In some areas, the caterpillar density reached hundreds of caterpillars per tree, resulting in entire 3-4 year old acacia trees being stripped bare of leaves in a short period.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Chairman of the Nghia Hanh Commune People's Committee, stated that in the last days of May, the density of caterpillars damaging acacia trees has decreased. However, the local authorities are still directing residents to regularly monitor the situation and continue to compile specific statistics on the number of households and the area of ​​forest affected by the pests. Currently, Nguyen Trai hamlet has over 400 hectares of acacia trees, and the entire commune has approximately 1,800 hectares of acacia trees.

“The commune has a plan to control pests by spraying pesticides according to the instructions of the specialized agency. Accordingly, the district will provide pesticides, while forest owners will invest in renting spraying equipment using drones. However, currently, people are hesitant about whether spraying from above will affect the health of people living in the area, so the spraying has not been implemented yet,” said Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Trinh, Deputy Director of the Tan Ky District Agricultural Services Center, the caterpillar infestation in Nghia Hanh commune sometimes causes very rapid damage due to its high density and fast growth rate.

Currently, although no pesticides have been sprayed, the pest density has decreased. The pests are now in the first and second instars of the second generation, possibly due to weather conditions or attacks by natural predators. However, local authorities and residents should not be complacent, as this type of pest reproduces in generations. Regular monitoring of density and damage levels is necessary to implement timely control measures.

"

Previously, the specialized agency recommended the following methods for controlling caterpillars that damage acacia trees: People should regularly apply forest care and sanitation measures according to the issued technical procedures.

For forests 3 years old or older, comprehensive undergrowth clearing is necessary to minimize the layer of dry litter around the base of trees. Simultaneously, use biological insecticides containing Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria such as Bitadin WG, Delfin WG, Thuricide HP, Enasin 32WP... or other insecticides with bioactive ingredients such as Abametin, Emamectin benzoate... at recommended dosages for early control when most larvae are in the 1st to 3rd instar stage.
In particular, because forest trees have tall canopies, to ensure effectiveness, when spraying pesticides, local authorities and forest owners need to coordinate to use powder sprayers or drones to evenly distribute the spray over the entire canopy.