Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Posted Friday, May 27, 2022 11:12 AM EDT Last Updated on Friday, May 27, 2022 2:30 PM EDT
The City of Toronto will begin spraying biological pesticides on various parts of the city’s tree canopy this weekend in an attempt to control the spread of the highly destructive LDD moth.
Spraying will begin around 5:30 a.m. Saturday in High Park, Beth Mcewen, the city’s forest and natural space manager, told CP24 on May 25th.
The park will remain closed during the spraying operation, which will last about three hours.
“(The helicopters) will fly about 50 feet above the treetop and spray a thin biological pesticide mist called BoVir in High Park,” he said.
Weather permitting, parts of neighborhoods 6, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 21 will be sprayed on Sunday, May 29th.
In this case, the city will use a non-toxic insecticide for humans, birds, mammals, adult moths, butterflies, bees and other insects.
Anyone who is concerned about being adversely affected should avoid the area during and after the rain, Mcewen said.
The non-native LDD moth, formerly known as the European gypsy moth, feeds on tree leaves and can cause extensive defoliation of the treetops.
There are several methods to manage these moths, such as tree injections, egg mass removal, and soil spraying. Aerial spraying is another option when outbreaks occur. The last time the city of Toronto used this method was in 2020.
In recent years, LDD moth populations have been increasing throughout Toronto. According to the Northern Ministry of Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, this is the worst infestation in Ontario in 30 years.
Last summer, a significant portion of the Toronto Tree Cup was decimated by LDD moths. To deal with the situation this year, the city will be spraying some 80,000 hectares of private and public land in the coming weeks. More dates for fumigation will be announced soon.
Visit the interactive map of LDD moth treatment in the city of Toronto to see if your area is in a spray zone.
Anyone with additional questions or concerns should contact 311.