Newmarket giving limited number of burlap kits to residents to help control LDD moth population

Yorkregion.com
March 28, 2022

Want to keep moths off your trees this year?

The Town of Newmarket is giving away a limited number of free burlap kits to residents and property owners to help combat Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD), also known now as the Spongy Moth.

The burlap acts as a barrier to slow caterpillars from travelling up the tree to feed on the tree’s leaves, the town said in a statement.

It’s best to put burlap on trees in the spring as caterpillars begin to hatch and feed from early May to mid-July.

To get your burlap, visit heynewmarket.ca/lddmoth and complete the form.

Choose a pickup time to get your burlap at the Operations Centre at 1275 Maple Hill Ct.

Bring ID with your address on it. Burlap will only be given to eligible Newmarket residents and property owners.

Follow the instructional video/guide to install burlap on your trees.

Caterpillars must be removed from the burlap daily in order for the cloth to be effective.

LDD are important to manage because they have the ability to deteriorate the health of the trees by eating all of the leaves, the town said.

Most healthy trees are able to regrow their leaves but some species, such as oak species, are very vulnerable to repeated LDDs feedings and can be killed over several years.

By managing LDDs on your property, you help reduce the LDD population and its impacts on the environment, the town said.

The town continues to identify LDD “hot spots” with egg masses while working with York Region on best practices on controlling the LDD population.

This season, the town will:

• Install burlap bands on trees in Newmarket. This will help the town collect more data about the LDD population.

• Conduct ground spraying on younger trees.

• Conduct tree injections for more mature trees.

• Conduct egg mass surveys to learn more about the LDD population.

• Remove LDD egg masses with backpack vacuums in areas with trees that are vulnerable to LDD feedings in late fall and over the winter.

 

Town staff will also be participating at select Newmarket events to continue to educate the community on best practices to manage LDD.

For more information, newmarket.ca/lddmoth.