Tree-feasting looper moths have overrun Stanley Park (PHOTOS/VIDEO)

Megan Devlin/Daily Hive | @apprximatly_ma/Twitter

If you’ve been wondering why the trees in Stanley Park have been looking a little depressed, it’s because looper moths are out in full force.

According to the BC Ministry of Forests, the life cycle of the looper moth varies.

Typically, larvae hatch in the springtime, then feed “lightly” in May, June and early July. That light feeding becomes heavy from the middle of July to October.

Daily Hive received a statement from a Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation spokesperson about the damage the looper moths are causing. The specific breed at play is the hemlock looper moth.

Stanley Park has an abundance of hemlock trees, an excellent meal for these looper moths.

“A significant portion of the park is affected, particularly near Lions Gate bridge. This outbreak is also heavily affecting parts of West and North Vancouver, where many trees are showing signs of infestation,” said the park board spokesperson.

We saw this happening last year at Grouse Mountain.

I’ve looked at @grousemountain every day for 30 years and I’ve never seen it covered in what appears to be thousands of dead trees. Roughly half the mountain has now turned a red/green colour and no, it’s not the lighting. @NVanDistrict are you aware? #northvancouver pic.twitter.com/XAnONtRgP1

— Jill Slattery (@JillSlattery) July 6, 2021

Outbreaks last around three years but only occur every 11 years in the interior or every 20-plus years on the coast. The park board suggests that we’re in the fourth year of the current outbreak, so this should hopefully be the last we see of these looper moths in these numbers.

Many Vancouverites have shared photos of the devastation that looper moths have caused in Stanley Park.

⁦@ParkBoard⁩ please explain how you’ve presided over this looper moth devastation at Stanley Park? Stuart Mackenzie, John Irwin, ⁦@gwengiesbrecht⁩ ⁦@inner_cityfarms⁩ Camil Dumont, ⁦@TriciaBarker49⁩ ⁦⁦@JohnCCoupar⁩ ⁦@daveforparks⁩ pic.twitter.com/nbQyQy4I8n

— Mary Ann Thompson (@apprximatly_ma) September 2, 2022

Some are suggesting that the park is in trouble.

#StanleyPark this am Our #urbanforest is in trouble. So many dying trees. What is the strategy ⁦@ParkBoard⁩ #Vancouver #parks pic.twitter.com/s7TRKWAEBy

— Patti Russell (@PattiRussell8) September 2, 2022

The ministry states that damage to trees caused by this breed of looper moth is generally visible in late summer “as larvae develop and feed on susceptible host tree species.”

“The insect periodically reaches outbreak levels, causing severe damage to forests in both Interior and coastal stands in British Columbia,” reads the ministry statement.

Severe damage to the trees in Stanley Park is visible as they shift away from their typical bright greens to a very dry and dark brown. The park board even suggests that dead trees could pose a risk to the public and infrastructure.

“As Stanley Park hosts many visitors and vehicular traffic, the affected trees are being assessed to determine those that need to be removed to limit risk to public safety. A fulsome plan detailing next steps and operational efforts will be communicated in due course,” the park board added.

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