A neighborhood in LaPorte County has established a task force to fight back against a winged infestation.

It was once known as the Gypsy Moth, and now the Spongy Moth has stacked a claim in a neighborhood in LaPorte County with an exploding population. WSBT reports that it began as a rise in the number of caterpillars clinging to trees, and now the moths are filling the skies.

They are harmless to people, but too many of them create problems. One female can lay up to a thousand eggs, and in huge numbers the crawling variety of the little critters can seriously damage trees by feeding on them.

Residents in the affected area are trying to see if they can get federal funding to help fight the moths, but so far the area’s problem doesn’t qualify.