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State proposes gypsy moth treatment in Kent for spring

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) announced today a proposal to treat a 25-acre site in Kent this spring for the destructive European gypsy moth. State entomologists have concluded a reproducing population of the gypsy moth exists at the site after catching 43 moths within a quarter mile of the intersections of Willis St. and Washington Ave.

Approximate boundaries of the proposed site are Willis St. on the south; Highway 167 (West Valley Freeway) on the east; an east-west line about 200 feet south of Meeker St. on the north; and the west side of the K-Mart parking lot on the west.

Kent businesses in the proposed treatment zone will receive information on the gypsy moth problem next month. A community open house will be held Feb. 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Kent Elementary School, 24700 64th Ave. S. to familiarize the community with the proposal. No residences are located in the proposed treatment zone.

WSDA is proposing to treat the site with Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk), a biological insecticide used in the past to keep the gypsy moth out of Washington. Btk is registered for use in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is found naturally in the environment. Three to five applications of the insecticide would be applied three to 14 days apart, using ground equipment.

WSDA will comply with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) before a decision to move forward on the proposal is reached. WSDA will consult with state and federal agencies, and prepare documents that assess the impact of the proposal on the environment. Two documents will be made available for public comment—a SEPA checklist and a NEPA draft environmental assessment.

The moth has been detected in Washington every year since 1977, but permanent populations have not been established because of the state’s aggressive trapping and eradication programs. Seventy-five moths were caught in the state last summer.

For more information on the gypsy moth, call the agency’s toll-free hotline (1-800-443-6684) or visit the WSDA gypsy moth Web site at www.agr.wa.gov/plantsinsects and click on “Gypsy Moth.”
 

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