Department of Agriculture to Spray for Gypsy Moths in Lemont

Areas within the village of Lemont are scheduled to be treated this spring for invasive European Gypsy Moths.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture is again teaming up with the Slow the Spread Foundation and the United States Department of Agriculture to conduct aerial treatments across the state that minimize invasive tree pest impacts, village officials said.

Gypsy moths are native to parts of Europe, Asia and northern Africa, and are capable of feeding on more than 500 different species of trees and plants. As a result, the insect is responsible for millions of acres of defoliation annually, according to state officials.

For the past 30 years, the state of Illinois has conducted annual treatments to control the moth's impact on forests and residential areas.

Beginning this May or June—and as early as April, in some cases—a certified aerial application contractor will use helicopters and airplanes to apply two materials proven to disrupt the life cycles of European Gypsy Moths. Applications will be limited to forests and areas with significant tree density, according to state officials.

Nancy Williams, a representative from the Department of Agriculture's Gypsy Moth Program, said outreach has already begun to address the treatments, the nature of which will be "high profile."

"Safety is always top priority," Williams said in a letter to Lemont officials. "All precautions will be made to ensure the safety of everyone involved in these operations, in the air and on the ground, as well as your land owners and users, and properties and facilities."

The approximate treatment area in Lemont, which can be viewed on the Department of Agriculture's website, runs from New Avenue to Derby Road, just north of 135th Street and south of 131st street, down to 163rd Street in Lockport.

For more information, visit www.agr.state.il.us/Environment/Pest/gypsymothinIL.html

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