Aerial Treatments to Control European Gypsy Moth in Oswego

From the Illinois Department of Agriculture

In an ongoing effort to minimize invasive tree pest impacts in the State of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDoA) and the Slow the Spread (STS) Foundation are once again teaming with the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to conduct aerial treatment to control European Gypsy Moth (EGM), populations and spread in northern Illinois for the 2012 year.
These treatments have been conducted in Illinois annually for approximately the last 30 years, so you may or may not have been affected or experiences these operations in the past. Please visit the following links for more information:

Slow the Spread: http://www.gmsts.org

IDoA: http://www.agr.state.il.us/Environment/Pest/gypsymothinIL.html

For treatment information specific to your area, please click on Are You in a Gypsy Moth Treatment Area This Year? in the above link.

Per favorable weather conditions, this May and June a certified aerial application contractor will use helicopters and airplanes to apply two (2) materials proven to control or disrupt EGM life cycles. Applications will be limited to forested areas, and residential and agricultural areas with significant tree density, avoiding all other land and water designations. However, the nature of these operations is high profile. Undoubtedly, they will gain the attention of residents, and potentially the media. The IDoA will provide outreach and notification of the planned operations directly to those areas affected, and will also host public meetings for residents, officials, and the media to attend to gain more information and to address any questions and/or concerns there may preemptively be. Local, county, and state law enforcement will be notified of schedule operations, as well as local emergency services and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Safety is always top priority. All precautions will be made to ensure the safety of everyone involved in these operations, in the air and on the ground.

The Village of Oswego will continually send out information about the upcoming applications as we hear information from the IDoA.