GYPSY MOTH TREATMENT BEGINS NEXT WEEK

GYPSY MOTH TREATMENT BEGINS NEXT WEEK

Applications scheduled in two northern Illinois counties

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois Department of Agriculture wants to inform residents about its 2016 Gypsy Moth treatment program which gets underway next week, June 25th and June 27th. Please be aware the possibility has arisen where the applications could take place on June 24th and June 25th. The Department will continue to work with the affected communities on the dissemination of application information.

Weather permitting, Pheromone flakes, a non-toxic substance, will be aerially applied to areas in LaSalle and Putnam Counties.

This year the Illinois Department of Agriculture plans to treat the following areas:

- Approximately 25,000 acres in the communities of LaSalle, Peru, Oglesby, and Utica, as well as Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks, and the surrounding area.

Two applications dates are planned this year to accommodate weekend visitors to Starved Rock State Park. One application of mating disruption flakes (Pheromone flakes) will be made on Saturday, June 25th around 7:00am, weather depending. This June 25th application will not include the urban areas and State Parks. The other application is currently scheduled for Monday, June 27th around 7:00am, weather permitting; however, this application may be bumped up to June 24th with a 7:00am start time. Again, the Department will continue to work with the affected communities on the dissemination of application information. Anyone with questions is welcome to call the Department at (815) 787-5476.

Pheromone flakes are used to prevent adult male gypsy moths from mating with females. The treatment plan calls for flakes to be applied after caterpillars have emerged as adults. The application is done by aircraft at 200 feet in the air. This is why specific application dates could be affected by wind or rain. The aerial application is non-toxic to humans, other mammals, birds, fish and most insects, including honeybees and lady bugs. Maps of the treatment sites are posted on the department's website at www.agr.state.il.us.

Gypsy Moths feast on the foliage of trees and shrubs, and large populations are capable of stripping plants bare. They obtained their name because the female moth cannot fly and typically lays her eggs on objects near where she hatched, including campers, grills and backpacks. When these items are moved, the eggs ride along like a nomadic gypsy.

The Department of Agriculture has extensive information on the Gypsy Moth treatment program available through its website at http://www.agr.state.il.us/gypsy-moth. Residents can also choose to follow https://www.facebook.com/GypsyMothIllinois for real-time updates.