They damage trees, are not picky about which ones they eat from, and they’re coming back for another year.
That’s the gist of what Renfrew County is telling myFM about Spongy Moths, a notorious and non-native invasive pest.
The County is warning us that an outbreak of the invasive species is expected to pop up once again in several areas. Early surveys for eggs suggest Pembroke could be hit notably hard by them as we get closer to summer.
A single Spongy Moth caterpillar can chew through a square meter of leaves in a season.
If you see a mass of eggs on a tree you own, the county suggests you put on some gloves and scrape them off immediately into a mixture of soap and water or burn them. Be careful, as the hairs that cover the moth eggs can cause adverse reactions in some people.
You can also protect your trees wrapping a 45-centimetre wide strip in burlap around them. Do so at chest height and tie a string around the centre, folding the top portion down to form a skirt. You can then pick the caterpillars off as they appear.