Spongy moth: where it is regulated, country by country
What the agencies in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom say about spongy moth rules, which items and areas they cover, and the date on each page.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. Spongy moth, formerly called gypsy moth, is a caterpillar that strips the leaves from oaks and many other broadleaved trees. The table sets out each agency's status for it and the date its page gives. The guide to moving wood and firewood covers wood movement rules more widely.
Status by country
| Country | Status and what is covered | Agency and date on its page |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Federal quarantine areas. Egg masses must be removed from household goods before a move out of a quarantine area. The page lists outdoor household articles and stacked firewood as items that can carry egg masses. | USDA APHIS. Page modified September 17, 2026. |
| Canada | The agency restricts movement of potentially infested material through directives and regulated areas, including host nursery stock leaving a regulated area. | Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Page modified December 10, 2025. |
| United Kingdom | Present, and not notifiable. There is no statutory requirement to tell the plant health authorities about sightings. | Forest Research. Page data shows modified September 23, 2026. |
| Ireland | No official status page found on October 8, 2026. | Not stated. |
| Australia | No official status page found on October 8, 2026. | Not stated. |
| New Zealand | No official status page found on October 8, 2026. | Not stated. |
United States
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says on its spongy moth page that under USDA requirements egg masses must be inspected for and removed from household goods before moving them out of a quarantine area. It says the law does not apply to someone who does not live in a quarantine area, and it points to an interactive quarantine map and a list of quarantined counties.
The page lists the regulated kinds of item as outdoor household articles such as patio furniture, lawn equipment, outdoor play toys, grills, trailers and vehicles, and it names stacked firewood as a place where egg masses are often found. On firewood its advice is to buy local firewood and burn it on site.
It reports the moth as found in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The page treats where the moth is found and where the quarantine applies as two different things, and sends readers to the county list for the second.
Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says on its spongy moth page that it prevents movement of spongy moths into new areas by issuing directives and setting regulated areas that restrict the movement of potentially infested material to places where the moth is not established. Its list of notices includes new compliance measures for facilities moving spongy moth host nursery stock outside a regulated area, and an update to the regulated zones.
| Province or region | What the agency page says |
|---|---|
| Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island | Spongy moth is found there. |
| British Columbia | Detected, with eradication under way by the province. The agency asks for reports. |
| Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba | Detected, with the introductions eradicated. The agency asks for reports. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | The agency asks for reports. |
The page says anyone moving a vehicle, tarps, camping or sports equipment should look closely for moths or egg masses first, and it describes scraping off egg masses and soaking them in hot soapy water for at least 2 days.
United Kingdom
Forest Research says on its gypsy moth page that the moth is present in the United Kingdom, found throughout much of London and patchily in the south east of England, and that it is not notifiable. The page says there is no statutory requirement to notify sightings to the plant health authorities, though it offers a way to send reports when serious damage has occurred. It lists no movement rule. It also says the hairs of this caterpillar do not cause severe adverse effects on human health, unlike those of oak processionary moth. For that moth, which is regulated, see oak processionary moth by country.
Related reading
The guide on tree pests and diseases lists the other pests that agencies in each country track.