State Wildlife Crews To Spray In 3 Counties For Gypsy Moths

GARY, Ind. (AP) — State wildlife crews are resuming their aerial spraying campaign against an invasive moth that has a foothold over a large swath of northern Indiana.

Crews were scheduled to use a crop duster Wednesday to spray areas of Lake, Porter and St. Joseph counties infested with gypsy moths.

That airplane will spray particles containing a type of bacteria that's deadly to the moth's destructive, caterpillar-like larvae. The spraying will target treetops where those larvae feed. The voracious appetites of their larvae can quickly defoliate large tracts of forests.

Authorities say the gypsy moth is one of North America's most destructive invasive species. It eats the foliage of oak and other trees and shrubs.