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
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.