A press release from the Village of Lakewood:
Aerial Spraying of Gypsy Moths in the Village of Lakewood
Spraying for gypsy moths. (And there’s the electric pole attachment that failed.)
Viable gypsy moth egg masses have been found at two locations within the Village.
The locations are near the intersection of Broadway and Cumberland Lane, and near the intersection of Huntley Road and Oakwood Drive.
There are numerous egg masses that cannot be reached using ground based treatment strategies, so the Village will be conducting aerial spraying for gypsy moths at and around the aforementioned locations.
Gypsy moth infested sites will be treated by helicopter with an application of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (B.t.k.), a naturally occurring bacteria used by gardeners as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. B.t.k. is not considered toxic for people, animals, birds, fish, and other insects such as bees and ladybugs. Also, it does not harm water supplies.
As a general precaution, Public Health officials recommend all persons in spray areas minimize exposure to B.t.k.
Signs like this will be appearing in unincorporated areas.
Persons who are more susceptible to infections or respiratory irritation should pay particular attention to the precautions above. This includes people with underlying illness such as leukemia, AIDS or other immune system deficiency, people receiving radiation or chemotherapy treatment, and people with asthma, emphysema or allergic sensitivities.
The initial application is tentatively scheduled to occur next week, but spraying is dependent on weather conditions and larvae development.
A follow-up application will occur 7-10 days after the initial application.
The gypsy moth is a non-native leaf-eating insect that feasts on plants and shrubs. Gypsy moths are among the most destructive forest and landscape pests in the United States.
In large populations, it is capable of stripping plants bare, leaving them vulnerable to secondary insect and disease attacks. Oak trees are the most vulnerable to gypsy moth devastation, but the caterpillars will feed on up to 500 other types of trees and shrubs if oak leaves are scarce.
The Village will post signs in the spray areas the day before aerial spraying.
My daughter was sprayed by a helicopter spraying BT while in PE class outside at Hannah Beardsley Middle School 3 years ago and it burned her nasel passages.
I reported this to your department 3 years ago.
This stung so bad, she was pouring water in her nose to try to releive the pain.
She was 13 at the time.
Her symptoms still happen to this day and I wanted you to be aware the harm it is doing to our children.
I also let the County know that someone seems to have overlooked the children waiting for busses and even earlier, the band bus,as early as 6:15.
It’s my understanding from a gentleman at teh County, that the School blamed the City, the City blamed the County, the County blamed the Company, and the Company blamed the Pilot………for arriving late that day?
Even if the Pilot was late, why would he be spraying over a gym class with children on the field?
Please have someone coordinate this pesticide application schedule so we aren’t spraying the early morning hours of “School Field Day”, when all the children have outside activities all day, on the early morning you sprayed your applications!
These poor children are just trying to catch an honest bus to go to an honest day of school, band class, field day or PE Class, please explain to me who this was ever overlooked?