Gypsy moth infestation appears to grow
BY DON RICKERS Special to the VOICE
Nancy Stevenson lives on Canboro Road in Fenwick, and is a frequent walker in the neighbourhood. She has been alarmed by the damage done to oak, maple, and birch trees by gypsy moth caterpillars in the area.
When she went to Town Hall and asked what was being done, the response was that nothing was planned for the balance of the year. “People need to speak up,” she said.
Similarly, Brenda Close of Mansfield Drive in Fenwick has had an infestation of moths in the trees on her property.
“Last year, I had an arborist come in to trim up some trees, and branches were missing leaves and needles, eaten by caterpillars. My roses were eaten as well. The caterpillars were underneath, where the birds can’t see them,” said Close.
“Last year our yard had hundred of brown moths flying around in the summer. They are back this year. And our neighbours’ yards, which back onto Carolinian forest, were also full of caterpillars.”
Close uses an insecticide available at most hardware stores to spray the moth egg sacs. She also uses a stiff brush to scrape them from tree trunks.
Gypsy Moths are considered an invasive species in Ontario, arriving about 1969. Widespread defoliation by the insect did not occur until 1981. Oak trees are the preferred host for the moths. Significant outbreaks of the insect normally occur every seven to ten years.
According to a post on the Town’s website, the greatest percentage of calls last year were in relation to a gypsy moth infestation near Hillcrest Park. Council provided a budget, and spraying was completed using a contractor this May, treatment which consisted of two aerial treatments seven days apart. The cost of the spraying was $865 per hectare. Spaying during the summer would have little effect on the problem, says the Town.
To streamline the reporting process, the Town is asking residents to fill out a form and return it to Christine Tonon in the Public Works Department. The forms will be assembled and presented to Council for consideration of expanding the spray area and budget in 2019.
