The "Spongy Moth A Danger To Forests" Story

It was an ordinary day.  reading an article in my local newspaper titled "Spongy Moth a danger to Pennsylvania Forests."  So what is a spongy moth?  Well, have you ever noticed a skinny, black caterpillar crawling around?  It is commonly known as a spongy moth and can be a very destructive, invasive pest.  It seems it has recently made its presence known across Pennsylvania forests.  The spongy moth, formerly known as the gypsy moth, is generally not harmful to humans, but can still be irritating to anybody and everybody.  These critters don't seek humans to bite, but have an irritating protein exuded onto their hairs, which are tiny and prickly.  You may get a small bit of the protein or toxin on your skin and it can be extremely irritating and produce a rash.  About the only thing you can do is wash the site immediately with soap and water.  You could then try a topical lotion to calm the rash.  The buggers are not particularly dangerous to humans, but seem to be wreaking havoc!  The best defense against the caterpillars is to cover your skin.  You can best cover your skin by wearing long sleeves, gloves, long pants, closed-toe shoes and a hat.  Our Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced a week or two ago that it will begin spraying of state woodlands to combat the spongy moth.  One way they will try and control the pests is by aerial spraying.  Keeping our forests healthy is of paramount importance; especially to protect all of the values our forests provide, including recreation, habitat, timber, clean air and clean water.  The bureau will be using insecticides such as tebufenozide or Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies, and kurstaki, which must be ingested by young caterpillars as they fed on the foliage.  These insecticides have been reviewed by both state and federal agencies and have been deemed safe.  They are commonly used in agriculture.  So far this year the pests have defoliated 441,819 acres in Pennsylvania alone.  The Bureau of Forestry will oversee the spraying of 185 sites for a total of 227,820 acres including portions of 12 state forests and 18 state parks in 20 counties across the commonwealth.  Oaks are especially vulnerable to infestations and begin to suffer when 30% or more of their leaf surface is lost.  The Bureau can only spray the public lands it manages, while 70% of the forests in Pennsylvania are owned by private residents.  The biggest thing the general public should understand is if you want to treat your private forest for spongy moths, you cannot do it effectively when you are noticing the problem.  It must be planed well in advance.  There are licensed aerial applicators across the state who carry out these operations, but they usually can't do it on the spur of the moment.  Those looking into getting a competent spraying program might consider banding together with neighbors so a large area can be sprayed.  The insects go through cycles, and outbreaks generally occur every five to 10 years.  We are now entering our fourth year of the outbreak cycle, and egg mass surveys from last year determined the need for suppression efforts again this year.  The good news is that we have finally observed a decline in spongy moth populations and the importance of these suppression activities to help continue to reduce spongy moth populations.  Now is the time for people to get serious about suppressing the pests.  People need to mobilize and get serious about controlling measures and start planning for it.  You can have foresters come survey for spongy moths and see if you need a treatment.  The bureau has a tremendous amount of information available on its website at Lancaster.news/spongy-moth.  "If people really learn the best way to take care of this pest, our forests would be a lot better for it."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

They're everywhere!!