Spongy Moth photo courtesy PA DCNR
Spongy Moth May Cause ‘Severe Tree Loss’ Next Year
CLINTON COUNTY – The spongy moth may cause severe tree loss next year. Tom Butzler of Penn State Cooperative Extension says this is something residents should be mindful of now, “If action isn’t taken, either by man or nature–there are some viruses and fungal organisms that will taken on the spongy moth–we could see some severe tree loss next year.”
If you are looking to protect your plants, Butzler says contractors may be brought in to spray trees with protective chemicals. Butzler says he’s seen a lot of harm to plant-life across Pennsylvania, “If you would go through central Pennsylvania about a month ago, you saw hillsides almost completely defoliated, brown. If that occurs again next year, that stress two years in a row, is really going to impact the health of those plants.”
He says the source of the moth comes from female eggs, “That female lays its eggs all over the place. So what’s going to go on now, is that over the next couple months, DC&R, and other individuals are going to start going out and counting the egg masses. They’re going to see how bad it is going to be next year.”
You can hear from Butzler on this issue and more on the WKOK.com Podcast Page, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
