Forest Service Collaborates with Pennsylvania on Lymantria dispar Treatment
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) and Forest Service Eastern Region are collaborating to suppress European gypsy moth populations in the Keystone State.
“The European Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar or EGM) is native to Europe and first arrived in the United States in Massachusetts in 1869. This moth is a significant pest because the caterpillars have voracious appetites for more than 300 species of trees and shrubs, posing a danger to North America's forests,” noted the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Forest health surveys conducted in 2020 indicated the gypsy moth population is expected to increase or persist in certain areas of the state in 2021.
More than 203,000 acres of forested land is planned to be treated in Pennsylvania in 2021. PA DCNR will deploy two to three helicopters and six fixed wing aircraft to conduct the spraying operation in 2021.
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