Contact: Nkauj (pronounced ‘gow’) Vang, 608-224-4591, Nkauj.Vang@wisconsin.gov
MADISON—Yellow planes will be a familiar sight in some counties this spring and summer, while in others, it will make an appearance for the first time.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Gypsy Moth Slow the Spread Program plans to treat 92 sites covering approximately 228,291 acres in 20 counties to help control the spread of the destructive forest pest, the gypsy moth. This plan is separate from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Suppression Program.
The counties are Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Taylor, Trempealeau and Vernon.
Gypsy moth caterpillars mainly feed on the leaves of oak trees, but they also will feed on the leaves of hundreds of other species of trees and shrubs. When present in large numbers, gypsy moth caterpillars can defoliate trees and overcome native species.
“The gypsy moth is a serious pest that threatens our forests and urban trees, and it can have a negative impact on Wisconsin’s timber, paper, nursery and tourism industries. If the gypsy moths aren’t controlled, it’ll be very unpleasant to see defoliated trees and thousands of caterpillars crawling around in the spring and early summer,” said Chris Lettau, gypsy moth program coordinator.
Aerial treatments will start in May when the caterpillars begin to emerge. Some sites will be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. Btk is a naturally occurring soil bacterium and has been successfully used in gypsy moth treatments for more than 30 years. Most sites will receive two applications of Btk, about five to 10 days apart. Other sites will receive Gypchek, a product specific only to gypsy moth.
In June and July, additional sites will be treated with mating disruptor, which has the pheromone of the female adult gypsy moth. This confuses the male gypsy moths when they’re searching for a mate and prevents reproduction.
Btk, Gypchek and mating disruptor have no known toxicity to people, animals, fish and plants. The products must be applied with an airplane to be effective.
“When we spray an area, the planes must fly about 50 feet above the treetops for the products to get onto the tree leaves. This means the planes are loud, and they will make repeated passes over an area until the spraying is complete. We begin spraying in the early morning to take advantage of low winds and high humidity,” Lettau said.
Five public meetings will be held in March to give citizens, foresters, local officials and others an opportunity to learn about the program and comment on the proposed treatment plan.
The public meetings are scheduled for:
Madison: Tuesday, March 2, at the WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, 2811 Agriculture Drive, Room 231, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Prairie du Chien: Wednesday, March 3, at the Crawford County Administration Building, 225 N. Beaumont Road, Room 130, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Viroqua: Wednesday, March 3, at the Erlandson Office Building, 318 Fairlane Drive, First Floor Main Meeting Room, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Altoona: Tuesday, March 9, at the Eau Claire County UW-Extension, 227 First St. W., Rooms 103 and 104, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Superior: Wednesday, March 10, at the Superior Public Library, 1530 Tower Ave., Library Classroom, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, visit the Web site http://www.gypsymoth.wi.gov, call the toll-free gypsy moth hotline at 1-800-642-6684, or e-mail gypsymoth@wisconsin.gov.
