Aerial treatments completed for spongy moth

Local Sources- All aerial treatments conducted by Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) divisions of Forestry and Entomology & Plant Pathology to slow the spread of spongy moth, formerly called gypsy moth, were completed yesterday.

Spongy moth is one of North America's most devastating invasive forest pests and has caused thousands of acres of defoliation across the eastern United States.

Treatments for this destructive pest were conducted in Fulton, Kosciusko, LaPorte, and Marshall counties.

The treatments used a mating-disruption process that consists of using SPLAT GM-O, an organic product made with food-grade materials that does not affect people, animals, plants, or any insects other than spongy moth. The droplets have pheromone that disrupts the insect's mating cycle.

The DNR will return to northern and, if needed, sections of central or southern Indiana next spring and summer to continue the battle to slow the spread of this insect.

To keep up to date on future treatments or to view maps of all treatment locations, or for more information, see on.IN.gov/spongymoth.

To view more DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.