In Hatton Township, a special millage question is being proposed. The question is about creating a township millage that will raise nearly $1,460,000 in 2025.
The funds would be used toward the maintenance and control of Spongy Moths, previously known as Gypsy Moth- in the area.
Hatton Township is within Clare County. The county’s hardwood trees make it a popular place for the species.
Through the Clare County Conservation District, there is a county-wide suppression program for the moths that has been in place for years.
Spongy Moth Coordinator for the district, Toni Maize, said the area is experiencing a “down-slide” in moth populations, five years after they first took over the county.
“There's been times over the last five years where people are literally buried in those caterpillars and the debris from them,” said Maize. “I’m not really getting any complaints this year like we have, but they’re still here.”
Maize says the district’s budget covers the cost to spray-treat about 25,000 acres a year, but it isn't enough to cover all the county’s needs.
“At this point the millage is really putting money in the bank for future outbreaks, there's no guarantee that we will have that, but [it] probably wouldn't be good to be sitting there with no money if the problem arises,” Maize said.
Spongy Moths lay their eggs in masses of several hundred, on tree trunks. Spongy Moth caterpillars feed at night on the leaves of trees and other foliage. While they prefer Oak leaves, the moths will attack most shrubs and trees.
Over time, the Spongy Moth caterpillars attack on foliage kills the plants being eaten. Something special about the Spongy Moth is their method of spreading. Their young larvae have hairs with air pockets that give them a level of buoyance that allows for strong winds to carry them.
Only one generation of Spongy Moths spawns every year between April and May. The Spongy Moth outbreak in Michigan began in 2019 and reached its peak in 2021.
Since then, there has been a steady decline in Spongy Moth population and damage. A Michigan Department of Natural Resources survey on Spongy Moth damage in 2022 showed only 386,000 acres damaged and in 2023 just 156,000 acres.
Chemicals were used for control of these moths after World War II, but they harmed other animals too. According to the Smithsonian, nearly 50 species of insect parasitic to Spongy Moths have been introduced for biological control efforts.
Coordinator for the North Country CISMA (Cooperative Invasive Species Managment Areas), Zach Peklo, said spraying used to be thought of as the only effective way to manage Spongy Moths but is now less necessary.
“Spongy Moth is considered naturalized because Michigan introduced a specialized fungus that would infect and kill the spongy moth and nowadays there is also a naturally occurring virus that is helping to suppress those populations,” said Peklo.
The University of Kentucky’s Urban Forest Initiative describes a naturalized species as “alien species, introduced by humans that are now reproducing naturally.” According to Peklo, naturalized species will have a “boom and bust” cycle, the Spongy Moth cycle is about three years.
“It’s a reasonable thought for neighborhoods or property owners' associations when they’re seeing defoliation to think ‘we need to get an aerial spray applicator’,” said Peklo. “It’s hard telling somebody ‘Just wait a couple years the populations are going to crash.’ People kind of want to see instant results.”
Peklo says people think that managing the Spongy Moth population by spraying pesticide interferes with their boom-and-bust cycle.
“The thought with spraying is to lower spongy moths to a tolerable level,” said Peklo. “It will become a maintenance program with the spraying regiments, because they're not going to fully eradicate them, but they're not going to allow them to reach a level that the virus and fungus become widespread throughout the population, causing a collapse.”
Before they have hatched, egg masses can be scraped off trees into soapy water or burned.
After hatching, the caterpillars can be picked up using a whisk and placed into soapy water overnight before disposal.
The recommended pesticide for Spongy Moth control is Btk (Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki) because it is harmful to the caterpillars but not to the beneficial insects in the area.
There are also some trap-like methods of Spongy Moth control such as Tree Trunk Traps.
“Cut a band of burlap 18 inches wide and long enough to go around the tree trunk and overlap a bit. Tie a string around the center of the band to make a two-layered skirt around the trunk. When caterpillars climb trees daily to feed, they will get caught in the band. Scrape them into a bucket of soapy water to kill them.”
