Gypsy Moth treatment scheduled for Allamakee County Monday or Tuesday
Low flying airplanes may be seen by Allamakee and Jackson County residents the early part of the week of June 27. The planes will be releasing pheromone flakes to help slow the spread of gypsy moth, a pest that can be destructive to trees and shrubs.
The tentative treatment date is Monday or Tuesday, June 27 or 28, depending on weather conditions and other scheduling issues. A total of 13,520 acres are slated for treatment: two treatment blocks in Allamakee County (one of 11,749 acres south of Churchtown and the other of 742 acres to the southwest of New Albin) and one in Jackson County (1,029 acres). Only wooded areas will receive treatment. Planes will begin their work around 7 a.m. on the day of treatment.
The treatment consists of pheromone flakes, which disrupt the male gypsy moth's ability to find female gypsy moths and reproduce. This effortshould delay the establishment of gypsy moth in areas of Allamakee and Jackson counties. Iowa is not currently listed as a gypsy moth infested state.
“When pheromone flakes are applied to the canopy of trees in newer and developing areas of gypsy moth, populations are often suppressed or even eliminated.” said Mike Kintner, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship EAB and Gypsy Moth Coordinator. “The pheromone flakes are specific to gypsy moth.”
The treatment is being conducted through a partnership between the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the IowaDepartment of Natural Resources, and the USDA Gypsy Moth Slow the Spread Foundation. Several other states are part of the foundation where the leading edge of gypsy moth is spreading across the country. Information on the foundation is available at www.gmsts.org.
Gypsy moth larvae feed on more than 300 different species of trees and shrubs, with oaks a favored species. Each larva can grow up to two inches long and can consume up to 11 square feet of foliage from early May through June.
Maps indicating treatment areas and other information on the Gypsy Moth can be found at http://www.iowagypsymoth.com/. Individuals seeking the most up to date treatment date can also visit this website or listen to a pre-recorded message by calling the Iowa Gypsy Moth Hotline at 1-855-497-7966.
