Spongy Moth Spraying Planned in Two Centre Region Townships

Two Centre Region townships are planning an aerial spray to control the invasive spongy moth.

Ferguson and Patton townships will use a low-flying helicopter to spray select areas with BtK insecticide on Sunday, May 19, or Monday, May 20, depending on weather conditions. Ferguson Township wrote in a news release that spraying would occur between 4 and 9 a.m., while Patton Township is planning for it to take place between 4 and 7 a.m.

BtK is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces a protein crystal which releases a toxin in the gut of spongy moth caterpillars.

According to Purdue University Extension , BtK is one of the safest insecticides available, and most North Americans have already been repeatedly exposed to it because it is sprayed on many crops and persists in soil. Extensive studies have found no toxic effects on animals, according to the U.S. Forestry Service , and no wait period is required to re-enter an area after it is sprayed. Still, Patton Township recommends residents do not go outside until one hour after spraying is complete.

The decision to spray in both townships was based on the volume of egg masses in areas that present the likelihood of defoliation and tree loss from spongy moth activity.

Residents in the proposed areas were notified in advance and given the option to opt out. Maps of the spray areas are available on the Ferguson and Patton township websites.

Because the townships will not spray within a 500-yard buffer area around a property that opted out, some residents that wished to have their property treated will not be included in the aerial application. Those residents can hire a private contractor and submit an application for reimbursement for up to $62 per acre to the their respective township.

Spongy moth, formerly known as gypsy moth, is native to Europe and Asia and was first detected in Pennsylvania in 1932. Since the 1970s, it has caused significant damage to Pennsylvania trees, killing millions of oaks and other species, according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

DCNR conducted its own aerial spray of state forests this spring, including Bald Eagle, Penn Roosevelt, Poe Paddy and Poe Valley state parks in Centre County. The Pennsylvania Game Commission also has completed spraying of state gamelands in Centre County.

"Aerial suppression is needed to keep this invasive pest in check and protect our native forests from defoliation, with oaks being one of its favorite host," DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a news release. "Keeping our forests healthy is of paramount importance, to protect all of the values our forests provide, including recreation, habitat, timber, clean air and clean water.”

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