Spongy Moths

If you see these on your trees this spring- contact our office for a FREE evaluation from our certified Arborists!

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages property owners to look for spongy moth egg masses on their trees and plan ahead for control measures. Spongy moths are invasive insects that prefer oak, birch, crabapple, aspen, willow, and linden trees and thrive in warm and dry weather.

Spongy moth caterpillars feed on many tree and shrub species, stripping trees of their leaves and potentially killing them. Spongy moth outbreaks occur every five to 10 years. In 2023, Wisconsin saw a record amount of spongy moth defoliation, with about 375,000 acres affected (mostly in northern Wisconsin).