The Gypsy Moth is not native to North America. It was introduced by an amateur scientist named Trouvelot. Etienne Leopold Trouvelot was a French immigrant who lived in Bedford, Massachusetts in 1857. He developed techniques for mass-rearing native silkworms. In the late 1860's, with the idea of cross breeding silkworms and gypsy moths, Trouvelot returned from Europe with a shipment of live gypsy moth eggs. In 1868 or 1869, several of the gypsy moths escaped out a window from the house where they were being cultured. About 10 years later, the population of gypsy moths reached defoliating densities in Trouvelot's neighborhood. They have been spreading westward ever since. They were first spotted in Michigan in the 1950's. There is no way to eradicate the pests, but there are ways to suppress them and slow the spread.