DATCP

After A Quiet Year, Conduct Spongy Moth Egg Mass Surveys This Fall

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The only mature spongy moth caterpillar detected at Harrington Beach State Park in Ozaukee County in July 2026 crawls up a tree’s mainstream. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh
Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov

Wisconsin’s recent period of high spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) populations came to an end in 2025 and the population remained very low in 2026.

Only a handful of caterpillar reports were received, most often coming from southern Jefferson County and eastern Dane County. Most notably, numerous bur oaks were reported to be infested with several hundred caterpillars per tree in and around Cambridge, Fort Atkinson and Lake Mills; light feeding damage was visible.

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Free Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Survey Training Opportunity

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Mitch Lannan of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, shows a hemlock branch infected by hemlock woolly adelgid. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DATCP

By Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

Are you interested in learning how to help protect the health of Wisconsin’s hemlocks? A new interactive opportunity is being offered this fall by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to monitor for hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA).

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DNR, DATCP Teams Exemplify Interagency Teamwork

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By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health team leader Becky Gray and Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Pest Survey and Control Section manager Renee Pinski appear before the Natural Resources Board to discuss tree and forest health issues on Nov. 13, 2025.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health team leader Becky Gray (left) and Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Pest Survey and Control Section manager Renee Pinski appear before the Natural Resources Board to discuss tree and forest health issues on Nov. 13, 2025. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

The spirit of interagency communication was on display during a joint meeting of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) and the Wisconsin Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (Ag Board) on Nov. 13.

The seven-member NRB is the governing body of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR); the nine-member Ag Board governs the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Each board sets policies and rules to be followed and enforced by its respective agencies. Members of both boards are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Wisconsin State Senate.

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Reminders About Spongy Moth Quarantine

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By Meg Sanders, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection;
MeganT.Sanders@wisconsin.gov or 715-891-8158

The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) to enforce a spongy moth quarantine in Wisconsin, with the goal of limiting the spread of the spongy moth to new, uninfested areas.

The quarantine now covers 53 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. The quarantine regulates woody nursery stock, Christmas trees, firewood, logs and outdoor household items. Quarantine regulations apply to businesses and private citizens.

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