The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is postponing proposed spring treatments for spongy moth infestations in several counties after delays in federal funding.
Officials said they will step up monitoring for the moth, formerly known as the gypsy moth, in Currituck, Stokes and Surry counties to track the potential population growth of the pest and complete some individual tree treatments in the most heavily infested areas.
The state agriculture department’s Forest Health Research Operations manager Sara Lalk said the proactive treatments have been effective in protecting North Carolina’s forests, landscapes and agricultural resources from the destructive impact of spongy moth for years, and they will continue to explore all available state-level resources to prepare for potential treatments next year.
When areas become heavily infested by the moths, trees may be completely stripped of leaves, and tree death can occur.
Proposed treatments with the aerial application of a biological pesticide were intended to target newly hatched caterpillars before they could mature into moths and lay eggs, but the pesticide has to be applied within a short timeframe in the caterpillar stage for it to work.
