Spongy Moth Caterpillar Management + Feeding Friendly Insects: Plan to Prep Your Soil

Spongy Moth Caterpillar Management

Cornell IPM Spongy Moth Website

Q: Are redbuds susceptible to spongy moth? 
A: Redbuds are not a favorite of spongy moths, but in a severe outbreak they can sustain some feeding damage. Keep an eye out for caterpillars on your redbud trees when spongy moths are in your area.  

Q: Can you use other cloth instead of burlap to trap spongy moth caterpillars on a tree trunk? 
A: Yes - other fabric will work as well. It should just be light and airy enough so there’s room for the caterpillars to get inside the flap and not walk over the top of the seam.  

Q: Do any birds eat spongy moth caterpillars? 
A: Spongy moth caterpillars have long hairs that make them unattractive to some predators, but certain birds will eat them. In NYS, that includes Blue jays, Robins, Orioles, and Starlings. Grackles and nuthatches will feed on the egg masses.  

Q: How can I promote the diseases that kill spongy moth? 
A: A great deal of research has been conducted on the diseases of the spongy moth caterpillars. Much of that took place at Cornell in the lab of the recently retired Ann Hajek. She found that although the fungi and virus are produced efficiently in caterpillars it has not been feasible to grow them in production settings. So, in some situations infected caterpillars will be moved from an area of disease to a population of healthy caterpillars to encourage an outbreak in a new area. But for the proposes of managing our residential landscapes there’s not much we can do to encourage the diseases. They are dependent on the humid rainy springtime conditions. Fortunately, in NYS we have had those conditions over the past several years and none of our outbreaks have lasted more than a couple of years in any one location.  

Q: Are there any egg masses I shouldn’t scrape off trees and destroy? 
A: Yes, you could have egg masses from beneficial insects that you would want to leave such as the praying mantis egg mass. All egg masses look different, however, so you can become familiar with different egg masses before you scrape. 

Feeding friendly insects

Plan to prep your soil: How to create habitat for beneficial insects