Parts of Ontario dealing with tent caterpillar explosion
Despite their large numbers, experts say the caterpillars are fairly harmless.
Parts of northeastern Ontario, including Sudbury, are in the midst of a tent caterpillar outbreak, the CBC reports.
Entomologist Chris McQuarrie at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., told the news outlet the moths see population booms like this every ten years or so.
Most years, predators and diseases keep tent caterpillar numbers lower. However, every few years, those limitations become less accessible, and an outbreak occurs.
Experts don't know why natural population control fails to manifest some years.
Currently, they are draping trees, stripping some of them of their leaves. While some species of tent caterpillars build silky tent-like structures, the ones inhabiting northeastern Ontario don't.
Tent caterpillars usually emerge between April and June, and spend about 4 to 6 weeks dining on trees before turning into tent moths.
VIDEO: 2022 tent caterpillar invasion caught on camera
Quebec tent moth infestation creates road hazards
In June 2024, two cars slid off the road near Rouyn-Noranda, Que., when countless tent caterpillars coated the road, creating slippery conditions that one witness said felt like "ice."
Then, in 2023 tent caterpillars were out in full force on Vancouver Island, coating trees and falling on unsuspecting people below.
Mostly harmless
Despite being annoying, tent caterpillars are rarely a cause for concern. Most trees will recover from the lost leaves, even during outbreak years. And they aren't toxic, or invasive, nor do they bite.
Header image: Thérèse Arcand
