Spongy Moth

The spongy moth is one of the most important forest pests in the Northeast. The caterpillars feed on leaves of the forest, shade, ornamental and fruit trees, and shrubs. A single defoliation can kill some evergreens, but usually, two or more defoliations are needed to kill hardwoods.

Cornell University Fact Sheet

Forest Health Fact Sheet

Spongy Moth Management Guide for Homeowners

Btk Pesticide Treatment Info

How to Care for Defoliated Trees

How to Properly Water Your Trees

Last updated March 30, 2023

Pests & IPM

Spongy Moths

Combating the Elevated 2020 Population

View and/or download Gypsy Moth Fact Sheet

Gypsy Moth caterpillars are extremely abundant this year from visible caterpillars, masses of caterpillars in trees, pupae in trees, defoliated trees, and even caterpillar droppings causing issues.

Gypsy Moths undergo a complete metamorphosis and there are many life stages you can intervene at to help control the population in your home landscape.

Visit the NYSDEC website for up to date information on understanding and controlling gypsy moths: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/83118.html

Predicting Next Year's Defoliation

If you are interested in sampling your woodlot or forest to determine the likelihood of defoliation by gypsy moths for the following growing season, sampling protocol is provided here (PDF). If you do sample your woodlot or forest, your data is valuable to us for tracking annual populations. We would appreciate if you mailed or emailed you sampling data to:

NYSDEC
Division of Lands and Forests, Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233
Telephone: 518-402-9425
Email the Forest Health team

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