Weather permitting, the Washington State Department of Agriculture will begin aerial treatments next week to eradicate spongy moth caterpillars. Crews will treat more than 800 acres total, including areas near Lakewood in Pierce County and near Lake Youngs in King County.
Treatment Poses Low Risk To Humans
The treatment uses Btk, a naturally occurring soil bacteria that targets caterpillars. According to the Washington State Department of Health, Btk poses very low risk to humans, pets, birds, fish and bees. Btk is found naturally in the environment and has an excellent safety record while also being effective for spongy moth eradication. People who wish to minimize their exposure to the spray can remain indoors with doors and windows closed during spraying and for 30 minutes after the treatment ends. Let the spray dry before allowing children to play outside, wash with soap and water if you do have skin contact with the spray and rinse your eyes with water if eye contact occurs.
A low-flying plane will apply the product using GPS guidance. Each site will be treated three times over several weeks, with all applications expected to wrap up in May.
WSDA Touts Programs Success
WSDA said the Department has protected Washington from spongy moth introductions for over 50 years, adding it has been one of the most successful pest detection and eradication programs in the country, preventing spongy moths from establishing in the state and protecting our environment, communities and agriculture from this destructive, invasive pest.
The program has trapped for spongy moths (known as gypsy moths when the program started) since 1974 and conducted the first eradication program in 1979. The WSDA Pest Program has safely eradicated every spongy moth population attempting to establish in the state since the program began, protecting vital habitat for Washington’s pollinators and other wildlife.
Spongy Moths Would Devastate Washington Forests
Spongy moths pose a serious threat to Washington’s environment, with the caterpillars feeding on over 300 types of trees, plants and shrubs. The pest is permanently established in 20 states across the Northeast and Midwest, where it has defoliated millions of acres of forest and urban trees. In 2017, spongy moth caterpillars defoliated one-third of the entire state of Massachusetts and in 2018, that state lost about one-quarter of its hardwood trees, including three-quarters of its oak trees, in large part due to spongy moth infestations…