Managing spongy moths on your property

This month, you may start to see brown egg masses appear on your trees, usually in tree bark crevices, underside of limbs or other sheltered places. These come from spongy moths – insects that are beginning the egg mass stage of their lifecycle. To help keep these insects from making a home on your property, the City of Vaughan offers simple steps for removal and future prevention. 

What you can do: 

The following precautions can be taken from now to December: 

• Scrape off and destroy egg masses by submerging them in a bucket of soapy water for at least two days. After that time, discard the eggs in the garbage. Doing this will help prevent more spongy moths from hatching in the future.
• It is important to look thoroughly on your property for egg masses as they can be found on benches, firewood, outdoor furniture, swing sets and under the eaves of buildings.  

For tips on how to remove egg masses, you can watch this short, instructional video on the City’s YouTube channel. Ensure you always wear gloves when handling egg masses to avoid an allergic reaction. 

What the City is doing:  

City staff began inspecting more than 8,000 City-owned trees in April throughout heavily infested areas. Staff have effectively removed egg masses from more than 3,000 trees so far this season. In May, the City began applying Btk sprays and Tree Azin® (biological control products that are non-toxic to animals, humans, plants and most other insects) on 450 select park and woodlot trees. The City has also installed barrier bands on vulnerable trees in street and park locations with high infestation levels.

For more information and to access links to additional resources, visit vaughan.ca/SpongyMoth, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affair’s webpage or york.ca/SpongyMoth. 

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