Weather permitting, planes will treat five sites in Ashland and Bayfield counties Saturday in an effort to help reduce gypsy moth numbers.
The planes will release small, sticky, flat, green flakes that carry the scent of the female gypsy moth. The goal is to confuse male gypsy moths so that they will be unable to find and mate with females. The flakes are harmless to other moths, insects, animals, humans and plants.
Spraying will start after 7 a.m., and may continue into the evening. The yellow planes will fly just above the treetops and will be very loud. State officials warn that they may frighten pets or livestock, and they encourage people to monitor animals or keep them indoors.
The two Ashland County sites scheduled for spraying are in the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest at East Twin Lake and in the northern part of the Bad River Indian Reservation southeast of Odanah.
Three Bayfield County sites are scheduled for spraying. One is in the township of Russell southwest of the Red Cliff Indian Reservation while another is west of the city of Bayfield. The third site extends north from Washburn to just north of Van Tassells Point and west from the shores of Lake Superior to the boundary of Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest.
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For more information, call (800) 642-6684, or go to www.gypsymoth.wi.gov or www.datcp.state.wi.us and and click on "Gypsy Moth Spraying."
