Oakland County Launches Mitigation Program For Invasive Moth
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — Oakland County wants to slow and mitigate the spread of invasive moths that as caterpillars can denude entire forests of leaves.
The county's Moth Suppression Program is aimed at Lymantria dispar which is the scientific name for gypsy moths.
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The program will provide grants to cities, villages and townships.
Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, and municipalities are required to participate in training before applying for the grants. Trainings on egg mass surveying are scheduled Tuesday in Rochester Hills and Nov. 17 in Oxford.
Oakland County commissioners approved $250,000 during the 2021 fiscal year budgeting process for Lymantria dispar mitigation. The program will be administered by the Michigan State University Extension.
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This summer, the Entomological Society of America dropped the name gypsy moths because it is considered an ethnic slur. Until a new name is decided, experts will call the moth by its scientific name.
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