Have you ever driven around the city (mainly quiet areas in Etobicoke) and noticed beautiful big oak trees that have burlap or plastic wrapped around them? Unfortunately, this practice is not intended to keep them warm…although that might seem like a thoughtful gesture on the residents’ part. Instead, the wrappings are for something much more terrifying (especially if you hate creepy crawlers like I do.) The trees are under siege from a scourge known as the gypsy moth caterpillar.
I realize some of you are probably rolling your eyes. How bad could a moth problem really be? Trust me, if you substituted locusts with gypsy moths, one look would send you running for the hills as the apocalypse would be imminent. These little terrors are currently found in the millions on many of our affected streets. One Princess Gardens’ resident went as far as collecting over 10,000 caterpillars from her property to show Mayor Ford. They were still alive, of course. One of the perks of the job I guess…
The caterpillars have started to show themselves this past week. Right now, I suppose you could say they are in their “cute” stage, no bigger than a tiny pin needle. They congregate together and hang down on silken strings blowing back and forth in the breeze. Sounds kind of nice doesn’t it? At night they head back up to feast on the leaves and take a break from all their fun.
These suckers put on weight faster than a UFC fighter. Within a few weeks, most of them are the size of your pinkie finger and their new found weight causes them to be scattered everywhere along the property. They have trouble holding their own weight up as they crawl up and down the trees. It seems even our insects have obesity problems in North America *sigh*. Consequently, you can’t take one step without almost certainly providing a death by stomp. It’s gross….but nowhere near the worst part. Sadly, if their numbers are great enough, these caterpillars can defoliate a huge oak tree in about a day.
Being big eaters, they’re also big on relieving themselves. At night-time it sounds like there is a light drizzle of rain outside. Your gutters? I’d advise hiring someone because I’ve done the job and there’s just no word to describe it other than shitty. Millions of tiny balls of excrement fall like rain from the trees. They stain porches, walkways and driveways, and for weeks it seems like it will never end. Who wants to garden or sit outside for a BBQ in that?
After a few more weeks of the eating/digesting cycle, the caterpillars form into large cocoons and then subsequently into their final moth state. They are less disgusting at this point, but equally annoying. Residents will rest a little easier this year however. The City has agreed to spray the affected areas with a chemical called BTK that stops them from digesting *ouch*. It literally stops them up. This was done a few years back in 2009 and was quite effective. But after a few years of non-treatment, they have come back stronger than ever.
Here’s a word of advice for residents new to those areas. The treatment planned means they will spray with a crop duster style plane at about 5:00 am. They fly very low, just above the tree line. Being a Gen Y’er and always an urban dweller, it’s just a sound I’ve never experienced. I thought we were being attacked old-school style. Don’t worry though, you’ll get over it and be happy they did.
For more information, please visit the City of Toronto website: http://www.toronto.ca/trees