DNR Warns Of Spongy Moths News | May 31, 2023 | 0 | by Morgan McCarthy Wisconsin is warning about a bad spongy moth summer. The Department of Natural Resources says this looks to be a bad year for the moths that used to be called gypsy moths. The bugs can and will strip trees of their leaves, ultimately killing them. The DNR says oak, birch, crabapple, aspen and willow are the moth’s favorites.