TRENTON — The state Department of Agriculture is proposing treatment on 65,794 acres of forested land statewide to suppress gypsy moth caterpillars, including 2,879 acres in Cape May County.
Those figures are down significantly from last year’s totals when 112,500 acres were targeted throughout the state and 7,627 in this county.
The biggest local reduction was seen in Upper Township where 4,108 acres were targeted last year compared to only 1,065 this year. Similarly, Dennis Township had 1,678 acres last year and 461 acres this year, while Middle Township had 1,841 acres last year and 1,208 acres this year.
Two municipalities, however, were targeted for treatment this year after not being on the list last year. Lower Township had 97 acres targeted and Woodbine 48 acres.`
“New Jersey’s aggressive approach to suppressing gypsy moth caterpillars appears to be working evidenced by the much lower number of acres qualifying for the spray program this year,” said Acting Secretary of Agriculture Al Murray in a Jan. 6 press release.
“Even though the expectation is that the gypsy moth population is decreasing, more than 65,000 acres is still a significant treatment area, demanding that we continue our cooperative effort with municipalities, counties, other state agencies and the federal government to protect the state’s trees from this voracious pest.”
According to the release, to qualify for inclusion in the cooperative gypsy moth suppression program a residential or recreational forest must have an average of more than 500 egg masses per acre, and be at least 50 acres in size. A single egg mass contains up to 1,000 eggs.
Municipal participation in the aerial spray program is voluntary.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
