2021 Gypsy Moth Spray
Notice of Spring Treatment and Public Hearings
In response to resident requests, the City of Wyoming has a long-standing practice of providing gypsy moth monitoring and a spring treatment as needed. Information and updates will be available here throughout the process.
May 12, 2021 UPDATE: Three mailings have now been sent to property owners impacted by the 2021 gypsy moth spray program. The first two letters contained information about public hearings associated with the program and the final letter explained more about the details of the program and how it works. Now we wait for ideal conditions for treatment.
April 12, 2021 UPDATE: The second public hearing for the proposed 2021 gypsy moth spray will be held on April 19, 2021, as part of the regular City Council meeting. During this meeting, the Wyoming City Council will take public comment from interested persons affected by the proposed project. The notices linked below have been mailed to all property owners in the treatment area, describing the process and how to provide public comment.
The first public hearing of the proposed 2021 gypsy moth spray will be held on April 5, 2021, as part of the regular City Council meeting. During this meeting, the City Council will take public comment from interested persons affected by the proposed project. The notices linked below have been mailed to all property owners in the treatment area, describing the process and how to provide public comment.
2021 Treatment Locations
Using resident complaints, tree damage assessments and egg mass surveys, our consultant, Aquatic Consulting Services, LLC, determined the areas of treatment. A total of 868 acres are scheduled for treatment this year. You can find treatment locations on the Aerial Spray Map 2021 (PDF), use the Interactive, Searchable Gypsy moth Map or view the list of properties to be treated.
Property Owner Cost
If a property you own is within a treatment location, a fee is assessed on your 2021 Summer property tax bill. The fees will be as follows:
- $26 for small parcels or treatment areas equal to or less than .5 acres
- $75 per treated acre for parcels with treatment areas larger than .5 acres
How It Works
In addition to working with Aquatic Consulting Services, we partner with Hamilton Helicopters, Inc. to perform gypsy moth treatment in late-May to early-June. The exact date is determined through continued monitoring of weather conditions, as well as caterpillar and tree canopy development. Spraying will be done when average wind speed is less than 10 miles per hour and relative humidity is more than 50-percent. In most cases, this limits spraying to a morning activity.
The insecticide used in this process is a naturally occurring bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is also used by organic gardeners. The applicator is Hamilton Helicopters is the applicant and the Bt brand used is Foray 76B (or equivalent). On treatment days, our contractor will apply 1 quart of the Bt material over each acre in a very fine mist. It is unlikely for people to see or feel it. Application generally takes 4 - 6 hours (for the entire city) and the product dries within minutes.
The Bt only affects the caterpillars of moths and butterflies that are actively feeding at the time of treatment, which is why the application date varies. In an effective spray application, you may notice a change in the level of activity and responsiveness of the caterpillars, and they will die in 5-7 days.