Western Wisconsin to See Spongy Moth Treatments This Spring

GRANT COUNTY, Wis (CIVIC MEDIA) – Three western Wisconsin counties will see aerial treatment aimed at slowing the spread of the invasive spongy moth in May and June of this year.

According to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the treatment areas over the next few weeks will include Pepin, Buffalo, and Grant Counties. The goal of the treatments is to prevent newly established spongy moth populations from gaining a foothold in uninfected regions.

Officials are warning residents that they may see loud, low-flying planes around the area as early as sunrise. The small, yellow planes will spray a treatment over treetops in select areas. The exact timing of the treatments is difficult to predict, but the cycle will revolve around the development of the spongy moth infestations and weather conditions.

The treatment is a naturally occurring soil bacteria meant to target spongy moth caterpillars and egg masses. When in the caterpillar stage, the invasive species can defoliate a variety of trees, causing significant damage. Residents could then be liable for the removal of dead trees on their properties.

The invasive species has proven troublesome across western Wisconsin, leading the Department of Natural Resources to urge residents to only use locally sourced firewood last fall. Like the equally troublesome Emerald Ash Borer, transporting firewood is one of the most common ways the caterpillars and egg masses spread.

Western Wisconsin is also dealing with a number of other invasive species. Earlier this year, Douglas County officials detected invasive Zebra Mussels in the Upper St. Croix Lake in Solon Springs. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission also treated the White River in Wisconsin while targeting the invasive Sea Lamprey.