CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), in cooperation with the US Forest Service (USFS), will be treating 6,960 acres in Mingo and McDowell Counties to slow the spread of spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth). The treatment area is on the Mingo/McDowell County line 3.5 miles south of the town of Gilbert and continuing southeast towards the town of Iaeger, with Longpole Creek representing the center. The treatment will be done by the Slow the Spread Project, a national program between individual states and the USFS. The tentative date of treatment will be the week of June 10th. A mating disruptor known as SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone and Lure Technology), an organic non-toxic biodegradable formulation the consistency of hand cream, will be applied by aircraft. The product contains the pheromone of the female moth, overstimulating the male moth, making it difficult to locate actual females, thus, disrupting the mating cycle. The product is specific to spongy moth and made entirely of food-grade materials. It does not impact other insects, mammals, or the surrounding environment.

For more information on the Spongy Moth Slow the Spread program, contact Program Coordinator Andy Stotts or WVDA Plant Industries Director Timothy Brown at 304-558-2212.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials who sits on the Board of Public Works.