I’ve heard there are pheromone laced traps that attract male spongy moths, but I don’t know if they are effective. Squishing the caterpillars helps as does scraping the egg masses off into soapy water for a day or two. They say each egg mass can have up to 600-700 eggs!!! And I’m imagining that every caterpillar we destroy is saving many leaves.

Personally, I have been lax in squishing the caterpillars this year because of the rash I got from the tiny 1” caterpillars in the spring. But i have MANY denuded trees: birch, oaks and witch hazel not to mention all the frass that ic covering pathways. I am hoping that this is the end of the 3 yr cycle. If you want to read more about spongy moth and other pests and diseases check out our website for fact sheets.