Beginning in May and continuing through July, low-flying planes will spray select areas in western Wisconsin to treat outlier populations of gypsy moth. As part of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture's 2021 gypsy moth treatment plan, a total of about 95,000 at 45 sites in 14 counties are scheduled for treatment.
"The aerial treatments the department will be conducting are the most efficient and effective method to delay the impacts associated with gypsy moth outbreaks," said Program Coordinator Christopher Foelker. "Where this insect is well-established, it has been a periodic public nuisance and damaging forestry pest."
The affected counties include Barron, Chippewa, Crawford, Douglas, Dunn, Grant, Green, Iowa, La Crosse, Lafayette, Rusk, Trempealeau, Vernon, and Washburn.
The gypsy moth is a non-native insect with a destructive appetite for hundreds of species of trees and shrubs. Treatment efforts help limit the spread of the pest that is established in the eastern two-thirds of the state.
To view online presentation on the state's treatment plan, go to: gmaerialspray.wi.gov
Categories: Wisconsin, Rural Lifestyle