Spongy Moths

2024 Spongy Moth Update

Patton Township plans to spray for Spongy Moth Control in late May or early June of 2024. We will not have an exact spray date until it gets closer, so please stay tuned to our website and social media channels for updates.

Please note: If you live in a spongy moth spray block, but are excluded from spraying because of being in a buffer around a property that opted out, you still have options to treat your property. Residents can contract with their own applicator and then submit the bill to the Township for reimbursement. We will reimburse you $62/acre sprayed up to 10 acres of area treated on their property once we are provided with a receipt. 

Click here for a list of applicators and for more important info for homeowners.

We will not reimburse property owners if their property was not with in one of our spray blocks indicated on the maps located on the website. If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to Ken Soder, Public Works Director, at ksoder@twp.patton.pa.us.


Spongy Moth Caterpillar

larva

Photo by Karla Salp, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org

What is a Spongy Moth?


Formerly known as a Gypsy Moth, a Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar) is a non-native insect from France.

The spongy moth can be an annoying pest in residential, urban and rural areas as well as forests. Spongy moth caterpillars, the immature “larval” stage, feed on the leaves of more than 300 species of trees. They favor oak trees, but many other tree species are also good hosts.

During an outbreak, the density of spongy moth caterpillars can be so high that many host trees are heavily or even completely defoliated. The abundance of large, hairy caterpillars and the resulting rain of frass (fecal pellets) from infested trees is unpleasant and can be distressing, especially for people who have not experienced a spongy moth outbreak before.

CLICK HERE to visit Penn State Extension or CLICK HERE to visit The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.

Control of Spongy Moths in Patton Township

In order to help minimize the effects of the Spongy Moth in our area, Patton Township will be carrying out the aerial spraying of BTK insecticide in late May or early June 2024.

CLICK HERE for a Q&A on using BTK to control Spongy Moths from Purdue University

Spray Maps 2024

  1. 2024 Spongy Moth Spraying - Area 1
  2. 2024 Spongy Moth Spraying - Area 2
  3. 2024 Spongy Moth Spraying - Area 3
  4. 2024 Spongy Moth Spraying - Area 4
  5. 2024 Spongy Moth Spraying - Area 5
  6. 2024 Spongy Moth Spraying - Full Area Map

Male moth (left), Female moth (right)

male-female-ld-spongy-moth-c-bugwood.org_blockitemmedium
Photo courtesy of Bugwood.org 

HELPFUL DOCUMENTS

Click on the links below to view additional documentation relating to the Spongy Moth Spraying