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FAYETTE COUNTY ADDED TO GYPSY MOTH QUARANTINE AREA
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has added Fayette County to its gypsy moth quarantine area after egg masses were discovered there late last year. The quarantine is effective as of March 6. This brings the state total to 39 counties under gypsy moth quarantine.
Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass said the expansion is indicative of the threat posed by non-native species.
“The gypsy moth is one of a host of pests that are currently causing substantial damage to our fields and forests,” he said. “Gypsy moths defoliated nearly 78,000 acres of West Virginia forest last year, and its range continues to spread.”
The gypsy moth is a non-native caterpillar that has become established in most of the northeastern U.S. The insect prefers to feed on the leaves of oak trees, West Virginia’s predominant forest tree, but it has a wide range of hosts, including forest and shade trees and ornamental shrubs. The gypsy moth goes through four life stages – including eggs, larvae, pupae and adults – and can be transported long distances to uninfested areas by humans transporting infested materials.
The quarantine is intended to limit the artificial spread of the gypsy moth by man. More specifically, the quarantine requires an inspection prior to the movement of trees without roots (i.e., cut Christmas trees); trees and shrubs with roots and persistent woody stems (i.e., nursery stock); logs, pulpwood and wood chips; and mobile homes and associated materials. Without an inspection, regulated materials cannot be legally moved into a non-infested area.
Recreational vehicles and travel trailers can harbor egg masses. Owners are encouraged to check underneath them for egg masses before they take them on trips.
“We don’t want to stop business, we simply want to work with industry and the public to help them protect areas of the state that aren’t infested,” said WVDA’s Plant Industries Division Director Gary Gibson. “The safeguards needed are common-sense measures and we think we can make a large impact simply by increasing awareness of how this insect can be spread.”
An equivalent federal gypsy moth quarantine is also in place, but it applies to regulated items that cross state lines. The West Virginia quarantine governs movements among counties within the state.
For additional information about the West Virginia Gypsy Moth Quarantine, contact the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, Plant Industries Division, 1900 Kanawha Blvd., East, Charleston, WV 25305-0191, or call 304-558-2212. Information about the Federal Gypsy Moth Quarantine can be obtained by writing to: USDA-APHIS-PPQ, Route 1, Box 142, Ripley, WV 25271, or by calling 304-372-8590.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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