Gypsy Moth Management in Lowry Hill: Upcoming Aerial Applications

Residents please note:  the planes applying the treatment will be flying VERY low (about 50 feet above the treetops) and be loud. There will only be one application over each treatment area. Spray planes will start very early in the morning but are able to fly for most of the day if weather is favorable. People on the ground may or may not detect any product coming out of the airplane, but be assured that it is being distributed in a swath beneath the aircraft.

TREATMENT DAY

ESTIMATED FIRST APPLICATION TIME-FRAME: May 15-30, 2018.

Spray aircraft normally arrive at urban sites at sunrise or shortly after. On average, a 640-acre block (one square mile) takes about a half-hour to spray with a plane or two hours by helicopter. The aircraft flies over the treatment block, making sequential passes. It will be very low (about 50 feet above the treetops), and loud.

The MDA offers the following tips to residents in and around the treatment area:

• For the moth treatment to work, it must begin early in the morning. Residents may be awakened on that day by the noise of the low-flying airplane. MDA apologizes for any inconvenience;
• The airplane noise may spook pets, so residents may wish to keep them indoors during the treatment;
• The treatment product has no known health effects for humans, but to avoid it residents may wish to stay indoors during the treatment and keep windows closed for a half hour after application; and

The residue will not damage a vehicle’s finish, but residents may wish to park vehicles indoors to avoid having to wash them after the application. Soapy water will remove any residue on outdoor items.

Additional information can be found at our website at www.mda.stat.mn.us/gmtreatments

POST CARD REMINDERS will be mailed next week (May 7-11) to residents in and near the block reminding them about the upcoming aerial applications. Applications are targeted to begin between May 15-May 30. Yes, we are a bit delayed due to the late arriving spring/warm weather.

For the most up-to-date treatment information we encourage residents to 1) sign up via our website for automatic email notifications or 2) they may call our Arrest the Pest line at 888-545-6684.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT- U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has made available to the public a finding of no significant impact (FONSI), together with the underlying final supplemental environmental assessment entitled Gypsy Moth Cooperative Eradication Program in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The documents are available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/planthealth/ea/ or by contacting Erin Stiers (USDA-APHIS-PPQ, 900 American Blvd East, Suite 204, Bloomington, MN 55420).

APPLICATOR SECURED– the MDA awarded the aerial aviation contract to Airborne Custom Spraying, Inc. out of Halstad MN We are happy to be working with this experienced company. Airborne Custom Spraying along with the identified pilot for our gypsy moth application come with thousands of hours of experience working in urban environments and particularly the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Airborne Custom Spraying has conducted aerial applications for gypsy moth in Oak Grove, Minnetonka, Coon Rapids and most recently the city of Duluth. We look forward to working with this company in the coming months.