05/27/2026
Have you heard of the spongy moth? 🐛
Formerly known as the gypsy moth, this invasive pest has stripped the leaves from more than 95 million acres of hardwood forest across the northeastern U.S. since making its way over from Europe in 1869… and it's been creeping toward Tennessee at about four miles per year.
While individual individual spongy moths are found each year, so far Tennessee's proactive management efforts have prevented any established populations from taking hold. This is largely thanks to a steady, statewide trapping program that kicks off this month!
Starting in early May, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and partners place thousands of orange and green triangle-shaped traps across the state in a careful grid pattern. Each trap holds a scent that attracts male moths, and once they fly in, a thick layer of glue keeps them there. All summer long, staff check the traps and send any suspicious moths to forest health experts to be identified.
If monitoring indicates that there is a growing number of spongy moths in a given area, action is taken right away to prevent the population from expanding and establishing.
Catching moths early is everything! Even a few moths today can tell us where to focus, so we can stop a population before it ever takes hold across Tennessee's 14 million acres of forested land.
Learn more at www.tn.gov/protecttnforests/insects/gypsy-moth.html 🌲
