Maine officials are asking residents to provide information about moths they encounter this month in the hopes of combatting the invasive and dangerous winter moth.

The state is asking Mainers to use an online survey to tell officials about the number, size and location of moths they find. A spokesman for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry says the state wants to better understand the locations and sizes of winter moth populations.

The larvae of winter moths damage fruit-bearing trees and shrubs in the early spring. State officials say the winter moth began defoliating trees and shrubs in 2012.