DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota entomologists found a record number of spongy moths in the state in 2022, and plans are developing for another summertime aerial attack against the leaf-eating foreign invader.
The aerial spraying, set for mid-July, will be aimed at three Duluth neighborhoods and a large area around Holyoke as the Northland continues to be on the front line in the continental battle to slow the westward march of the insect formerly known as the gypsy moth.
More than 101,000 male spongy moths were caught in traps in 2022 in Minnesota, eight times the number caught in 2021, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture reports. Most moths were caught in Lake and Cook counties, but more are being found in Duluth and Carlton County as well.
