Public meeting slated to discuss spongy moth management

Many of Pike County’s trees and forests have been defoliated by the spongy moth (formerly known as the gypsy moth). Repeated defoliation will impact tree health, leading to tree death, costly tree removals, and loss of ecosystem services provided by trees and forests.

On the evening of September 3, the Milford Borough Shade Tree Commission will host a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Milford Borough Building at 109 West Catherine Street to discuss strategies for managing the spongy moth in 2025.

Presenters at the meeting include Vincent Cotrone, a natural resources educator and regional urban forester with Penn State Extension; Kendra McMillin, a forest health specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry; and Jessica Yoder, assistant planning director with Pike County Planning. These forest and natural resource specialists will share management strategies for controlling spongy moth feeding at the small lot and single tree level to larger forested tracts of land. Techniques that will be discussed will include biological control measures, aerial applications, soil injections, and drone applications.

Attending this meeting now will prepare landowners to make informed decisions about their trees and forests and prepare for the spring 2025 emergence of spongy moth caterpillars. Waiting until spring is often too late to secure professional help treating your trees and forests.

For more information about the meeting, call Penn State Extension at 570-825-1701 or email luzerneext@psu.edu.