Town moves forward with 2020 gypsy moth spray program
At the March 2, 2020, meeting of Council, the recommendation to move forward with a gypsy moth spray program utilizing the $150,000 approved budget was given the green light. This option provides aerial spraying for 33 hectares of municipal property and 90 hectares of private property.
Identifying spray blocks and the locations to receive the application will now commence. Once the spray blocks have been identified, maps identifying the areas receiving the aerial spray program will be made available. To stay up to date with all gypsy moth related information, subscribe to www.pelham.ca/gypsy-moth.
In November 2019, Lallemand Inc./Bioforest was selected to develop gypsy moth monitoring plots, conduct egg mass density surveys, and provide a report to the Town of Pelham including:
- An assessment of the gypsy moth infestation
- Forecasts of likely defoliation for these areas in 2020
- Short- and Long-Term management options
- Specific recommendations for management in the affected areas for 2020
The report states that, based on the data collected during January of 2020, the Town is likely to experience severe levels of defoliation throughout Fenwick, northwest area of Fonthill, as well as, in forested areas south of Fenwick.
The financial considerations for 2020 include the development of a 2020 spray program, public communication and education programs, advertisement of the 2020 spray program, obtaining permits through the Ministry of Environment, pre- and post-spray assessments, spray efficacy assessments, defoliation surveys, and the preparation of a summary report regarding the 2020 spray program.
The estimated cost to complete the above work is $40,000 (including Bioforest’s contract extension, staff resources, permits and approvals and advertising programs).
As a result, the available budget to complete the actual spray in accordance with the chosen option is approximately $110,000 (excluding applicable taxes). Based on the estimated unit price of $880 per ha provided by Zimmer Air Services, this represents a spray area of approximately 125 hectares. Overall, Bioforest’s report recommended 1,185 hectares receive aerial spraying.
The options presented to Council were:
- Take no action on trees and execute a strong public education program
- Implement a targeted aerial spray program of approximately 33 ha of municipal property and 90 ha of private property with a cost of $150,000
- Implement a large scale, extensive aerial spray program of approximately 1185 ha of urban and rural property with a cost of $1,040,000
- Implement a targeted aerial spray program within or adjacent to the urban boundaries with an estimated treatment area of 574 ha with an estimated cost of $500,000