Illinois Under Sudden Quarantine for Invasive Moth

It's that time of year when you need to be on the lookout for pests that aren't supposed to be in Illinois. The state has a warning about one which is a nasty moth that can quickly kill all of your trees in a heartbeat.

Since I am not a fan of bugs, I consider all of them to be my sworn enemies. But, the state of Illinois is really only concerned about those that are invasive and not native to the state. That's why the Animal Plant and Inspection Service has a very recent advisory for Illinois that was updated just a few short weeks ago. It's about the invasive Spongy Moth. The USDA says they "feed on the leaves of more than 300 species of trees and shrubs, eventually killing them".

This new alert from the USDA shows that many northern counties in Illinois are now under an urgent spongy moth quarantine.

How can you tell if you have a Spongy Moth infestation on your property in Illinois?

The USDA says to look for eggs on tree limbs or plants that look like this.

They say if you see these eggs, you have a problem and should destroy them immediately. These masses can appear on trees, lawn furniture, fences, walls and outdoor items.

How can you prevent luring Spongy Moth to your property?

Make sure you only used locally-sourced firewood. Wood that is transported long distances risks the spread of this invasive bugs to new areas. That's part of the reason why Illinois and other states are dealing with this nasty moth problem. If you find that you have this moth on your trees, you need to alert the USDA immediately as it might become a problem for your neighbors, too.