Gypsy moth infestation deterring some visitors at Toronto parks
From backyards to popular parks, the gypsy moth is wreaking havoc across Ontario.
“I have changed my running routes in the park,” said Rebecca Pinkus, a frequent High Park visitor in Toronto.
“There have been some paths where after it rains the caterpillars fall and get squished and there’s caterpillar excrement.”
David Dutkiewicz, an entomology technician at the Invasive Species Centre in Sault St. Marie, said last year was the worst gypsy moth infestation Ontario has ever seen.
“This year, we’re waiting for the data to come in,” he said.
There are some remedies to help you get rid of the insect, but it depends what part of the life cycle it’s in, Dutkiewicz said.
Between August and April, the gypsy moth is in the egg stage.
Dutkiewicz recommends looking for the egg masses on trees and scraping them off with something such as a butter knife.
Next comes the caterpillar stage, arguably the worst.
“If you just stop and listen to the trees you can hear them chewing. I mean it’s just terrifying,” said Dan Riskin, CTV News’ Science and Technology Specialist.
“One of my kids was also quite terrified of the whole thing,” he said after a family visit to the Kortright Centre for Conservation in Vaughan.
A caterpillar of the Gypsy moth is seen on a leaf in Tiny Township, Ont., on Fri., July 10, 2020. (Roger Klein/CTV News)
You can pick up a bio-pesticide spray called BTK at a local garden centre or hardware store, Dutkiewicz recommended.
“The caterpillars have to actually ingest the bio-pesticide basically in May in order for it to have any effect in June or whenever,” he said.
Using the spray now would almost be a waste of money, Dutkiewicz said, because there aren’t as many leaves for the insect to eat.
Wrapping a burlap band at chest-level around the tree will attract caterpillars looking for shade.
“Right now in June is the perfect time to use the burlap trap methods.”
Dutkiewicz suggests checking the burlap at lease once or twice a day, pick off the caterpillars then toss them into soapy water.
Some Ontarians have even resorted to using a vacuum or broom, which can work too.
For Pinkus, who views High Park and the allotment garden as a sanctuary, a change in the insect’s life cycle can’t come soon enough.
“The raspberry plants and my rhubarb plants have both been decimated.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.