Source: NCDA&CS, 5/26/20

Summary of Talking Points:
Last week I mentioned that what I call “regular work” is continuing at the department even as we continue to deal with the fallout of this pandemic.

Well, our Plant Industry Division is slated to begin gypsy moth treatments for seven counties June 4, weather permitting.
The aerial treatments are scheduled to continue through June 20.

Gypsy moths feed on the leaves of more than 300 different species of trees and shrubs, particularly oaks and hardwoods. When areas become heavily infested, the moths may completely strip trees of their foliage, which leaves the susceptible to attacks from other pests.

We will be treating sites in:
 Centerville in Franklin County
 A large area in Surry, Stokes and Rockingham counties that includes Pilot Mountain, Mount Airy and Eden
 Glade Valley in Alleghany County
 Zionville in Watauga County.

Plans call for starting in Franklin County and then we will move west, ending in Watauga County in mid-June. For the treatment, we will be using a product that is infused with the gypsy moth pheromone. When it is dispersed in an area, it disrupts the mating pattern, which reduces the population. The pheromone is not harmful to humans, animals or plants and will not affect other insect species.

The department has addressed spot introductions of the gypsy moth in several areas across North Carolina since the 1970s.

We work with nine other states through the Gypsy Moth Slow the Spread Foundation and with other state and federal agencies to reduce the expansion of the gypsy moth into uninfested areas of the country.

Again, these applications will happen weather permitting. Anyone in these counties interested in getting more up-to-date information on start dates can look for updates on the department’s Twitter account.

I hope everyone is staying safe. We will get through this!