Aerial spraying for LDD moths starts this weekend in Toronto
The City of Toronto will begin spraying biological pesticide on various parts of the city’s tree canopy this weekend in an attempt to control the spread of the highly destructive LDD Moth.
Spraying will get underway around 5:30 a.m. Saturday at High Park, Beth Mcewen, the city’s manager of forestry and natural area management, told CP24 on May 25.
The park will be closed during the spray operation, which will last about three hours.
“(Helicopters) will flying about 50 feet above the tree canopy and spraying a fine mist of biological pesticide called BoVir in High Park,” she said.
Weather-permitting, parts of wards 6, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 21 will be sprayed on Sunday, May 29.
In this case, the city will use insecticide which is non-toxic to humans, birds, mammals, adult moths, butterflies, bees, and other insects.
Anyone concerned about being negatively affected should avoid the area during and after spraying, Mcewen said.
The non-native LDD moth, formerly known as the European Gypsy Moth, feeds on the leaves of trees and can cause extensive defoliation of the tree canopy.
There are several methods to manage these moths including tree injections, egg mass removal, and ground spraying. Aerial spraying is another option when outbreaks occur. The last time the City of Toronto employed this method was in 2020.
In recent years, LDD moth populations have been increasing across Toronto. According to the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry this is the worst infestation in Ontario in 30 years.
Last summer, a significant portion of Toronto’s tree canopy was decimated by LDD moths. To manage the situation this year, the city will be spraying roughly 80,000 acres of both private and public land in the coming weeks. More dates for spraying will be announced soon.
Visit the City of Toronto’s Interactive LDD moth Treatment Map to see if your area is in a spray zone.
Anyone with additional questions or concerns should contact 311.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.