DNR: Gypsy moth treatments complete for 2021

June 28, 2021

Forest Pests — FILE - In this July 28, 2008, file photo, a female gypsy moth lays her eggs on the trunk of a tree in the Salmon River State Forest in Hebron, Conn. The scourge of insect pests is expected to put almost two-thirds of America’s forests at risk over the next decade. The gypsy moth, discovered in 1869 in Boston, is found in 20 states as of 2016, and has reached the northern Great Lakes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (AP Photo/Bob Child, File)

WABASH, Ind. (WANE) – The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced that aerial treatments to disrupt the mating process of gypsy moth in Adams and Wabash counties were completed Wednesday.

“This year’s mating disruption treatments were done with an aerial application of SPLAT GM-Organic. SPLAT is a liquid that carries the scent of the female gypsy moth and falsely indicates an abundance of females in the treated area. The males are unable to find a female, fail to mate, and no offspring is produced,” the DNR said.

The department said the application does not pose health threat to people, pets, livestock or other animals. If the product gets on a vehicle, promptly washing the vehicle with soap and water will remove it.