Mounds of moths emerge in Regina

Thousands of wet moths filled the air and covered the ground at Regina Honda as Quinn Miller, armed with a pressure washer, attempted to escort the unwanted pests from the premises on Thursday.

Many Regina residents spent at least some time the past few days removing tent caterpillar moths from their property, after the species emerged from their eggs this week.

“I got a call this morning that said there was tons of moths at Honda ... I did not expect this. I thought maybe 10 or 12 on the wall, and that’s it. But, no. This is tens of thousands all over the place,” said Miller, a mobile washer at Dilawri Honda.

He said he has never seen anything like it before.

The moth outbreak comes after an infestation of tent caterpillars invaded many parts of the city in April and May.

According to Scott Hartley, insect specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture, the influx will last for two or three weeks.

“The moths, themselves, won’t harm humans. This is the reproductive part of their lifecycle ... Basically, they’ll fly around, mate and lay eggs. It’s more of an annoyance than anything,” he said.

Post-coitus, female moths can lay up to 350 eggs in 24 hours.

Although, the City of Regina sprayed an organic tent caterpillar insecticide – called DiPel – last month, it wasn’t enough to stop all the winged pests from reproducing.

The city sprayed about 8,000 trees, by request of residents.

Ray Morgan, director of parks and open space at the City of Regina, said treatments decreased the total population by about 20 per cent.

Because many homeowners did not spray their yards, Morgan said that made it more difficult to control numbers. “That’s the homeowner’s responsibility, not the city’s,” he said.

This year’s infestation could be tell-tale of what we can expect in upcoming years. If this winter is as mild as the last, there could be equal or even higher numbers next year.

According to Hartley, outbreaks typically last a few years. However, “there are other factors that can come into play,” such as parasites, predators and disease among the species — which could lessen the blow.

At home, the City of Regina encourages residents to spray water on the moths with a garden hose, sweep them into a sealable bag and place them in the garbage.