Tree-eating spongy moth eases grip on Windsor, but we're not entirely out of the woods

Parts of Ontario are being hit hard by the invasive spongy moth which gobbles up tree foliagebut so far this year, Windsor-Essexis getting a bit of a reprieve.

That's according to Tom Preney, the city's biodiversity coordinator. He hopes it's a sign that the population, which goes incycles,is on a downswing after several years of heavy infestations.

"In one instance, I was walking down a traillast year and it was raining caterpillar poop out of the trees because there was so many spongy moth in the area, but this year it doesn't seem to be as bad," he said.

That's not to say the species hasgone away entirely. Preneydidn't have to venture far on the trailat OjibwayParkon Friday afternoon to spot a caterpillaror one of the moth'segg masses.

The species gets its name from its spongy egg masses that appear on trees, he said.

In March, the Entomological Society of Canada and its U.S. counterpart announced thatLymantria disparwould be known by the common name of spongy moth, replacing a moniker that contained an ethnic slur.

The species has also been referred to as the LDD moth.

The eggsusually appear on trees in late April or early May, explained Ryan Statham, a district manager for Davey Tree who is based in Strathroy, Ont.

Then, thosedestructive caterpillars emerge.

This year, there are heavy populations around Bancroft, Strathroy, Sarnia and along Lake Huron, he said. The city of Toronto is conducting aerial sprays to control the population.

"What we've seen is that the focus of these infestations tends to move all the time," saidStatham.

In Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, Stathamsaid the company has been called out to properties that were "loaded with the egg masses"this year.

What can you do?

The spongy moth caterpillar isn't all that picky about its dinner. Its been known to targeta wide variety of hardwood trees. In high enough numbers, theycan strip a tree of its leaves entirely, Preney said.

Atreecan usually sprout fresh foliage,but it's a significant drain on its resources, according to Statham. Depending the tree's health, and with multiple infestations,it could die.

The egg masses themselves, which Statham saidcan contain up to 1,000 eggs,are easy to scrape off the trunk of a tree.

But there areoptions after they hatch as well, like wrapping burlap against a tree to prevent the caterpillars from reaching the foliage.

Statham saidan arborist can recommend options to tackle the issue. Treatmentsinclude the application ofinsecticides, tree injections and applying sticky bands to the stem of the tree.

The city of Windsor is tracking the presence of the moth. If you see a spongy moth infestation on your property,Preney said you can contact 311 or the Ojibway Nature Centre so they can make a record of it.