Thoughts On Spongy Moth Treatment Plans?

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is accepting public comment on its 2026 spongy moth aerial treatment plans.

“The outbreak-level spongy moth populations observed throughout eastern and central Wisconsin in 2023-2024 have largely subsided,” said Michael Falk, Forest Pest Survey and Control Unit Supervisor at DATCP. “However, our 2025 trapping and egg mass surveys detected scattered outlier moth populations encroaching into uninfested areas of western Wisconsin. Our 2026 treatment plan is designed to prevent these populations from establishing and causing damage to yard trees and forestlands, as well as our timber, nursery, and tourism industries.”

Beginning in May and continuing through July, DATCP plans to treat selected areas in western Wisconsin using low-flying planes. A total of approximately 57,615 acres at 18 sites in eight counties are scheduled for treatment. These areas have been identified as having increasing populations of spongy moth, a destructive non-native insect with an appetite for hundreds of different species of trees and shrubs.

The following counties are scheduled to receive aerial treatments: Barron, Buffalo, Dunn, Grant, Lafayette, Pepin, Trempealeau, and Washburn.

Spongy moth program staff will present information regarding treatment plans at four upcoming open-house style public meetings. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with staff, learn more about spongy moth, and view maps of treatment areas.

Public Meetings

Public meetings are scheduled in each region where aerial treatments are planned: