City implements plan to control gypsy moths at Mohawk Park

BRANTFORD, ON – The European Gypsy Moth is a pest that’s prevalent throughout all of Southern Ontario that can cause significant damage to trees. The City of Brantford has been monitoring Mohawk Park as it is home to many large hardwood trees, the preferred food of gypsy moth larvae. A number of strategies will be implemented to reduce the impact of the gypsy moth this year. 

Strategies for pest control vary based on the life cycle of the months, feasibility and controls that are the least harmful to the environment being initiated first. City of Brantford parks and forestry services staff will be wrapping several hundred trees in burlap bands within Mohawk Park. The targeted area includes the park perimeter within 25 to 50 feet of the adjacent residential properties, and areas around the splash pad and accessible play area. Caterpillars are trapped in the burlap as they descend from the tree tops during the day to escape the heat and predators and are then removed from the site.

In addition, several hundred pheromone traps will again be placed in the park in July, which trap male moths and prevent them from mating and multiplying. Egg mass counts will be taken in the park in the late summer, as well as egg removals, to better allow City staff to project 2022 populations and determine control measures to manage future infestations.

Residents are encouraged to implement control measures to protect trees on their own properties. Learn more about how at www.Brantford.ca/GypsyMoth.

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