The first round of aerial spraying to kill off gypsy moths is set to begin in northern areas of Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday. The province said spraying will happen over homes as well as city land in areas close to Highway 1, near the Port Mann Bridge, as long as the weather stays clear. It is the same area that was sprayed by hand in 2017 and 2018. A statement from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations said "it is now apparent" those sprays didn't work, "likely due to limited site access." Three separate spraying treatments will be done this spring, starting shortly after sunrise and finishing by 7:30 a.m. each time. The ministry said it hopes to complete all three rounds by mid-June. Gypsy moths are an invasive species known to damage around 300 varieties of trees and other plants. The spray, called Foray 48B, contains a bacteria that kills gypsy moth caterpillars. The gypsy moth caterpillar dances from an invisible line of silk beneath a crab apple tree in Ontario in June 2014. (Chris Seto/CBC) Residents in Surrey and Delta have previously petitioned to have the spraying cancelled out of concerns that Foray 48B could hurt people, but the ministry said there is no evidence the spray is harmful to humans or other wildlife. The statement said the Organic Materials Review Institute of Canada certified Foray 48B and other formulations of the pesticide Btk for use on certified organic farms in April 2018.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email The first aerial-spraying of the year to remove invasive gypsy moths begins Wednesday in the Fraser Heights area of Surrey. The European Gypsy moth was introduced from Europe to the northeastern parts of the U.S. around the 1860’s. A North American breed of this moth was first seen in B.C. in 1978. “Because they have no natural predators the gypsy moth, you know, has the potential to establish quite rapidly and expand its range,” said provincial forest entomologist Babita Bains. Low-flying planes will be distributing the spray daily between 5:20 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. close to Highway 1 near the Port Mann Bridge, according to the Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Story continues below advertisement Residents in North Surrey are likely to hear planes hovering as they cover the 62 hectares of the residential and municipal park area, it added. This isn’t the only neighbourhood affected by invasive gypsy moths, but officials say it’s proven to be more stubborn and wasn’t responding to previous treatments such as ground spraying and traps. Gypsy moth treatment area. City of Surrey Bains said this is the province’s third attempt to eradicate the species and she hopes that it will be effective. “We determine if a population is becoming established, at that point we will either implement mass trapping or aerial or ground spray program,” said Bains. Story continues below advertisement The spray contains Foray 48B, which consists of an ingredient called bacillus thuingiensis var kurstaki or Btk. Btk is a bacterium that is naturally found in urban, forest and agricultural soils throughout the province. This ingredient has been approved and used to control gypsy moth larvae in Canada, since 1961. WATCH (Aired 2015) Rallies against moth spraying held in Surrey “It will settle on the leaves of various trees and shrubs within the spray area and from there the caterpillars will consume that material and ingest the material and the Btk will activate within the gut of the caterpillar,” explained Bains. Foray 48B and other Btk formulations received certification in April 2018 by the Organic Material Review Institute of Canada. It’s believed not to be harmful towards people or animals. Story continues below advertisement READ MORE: Surrey residents rally against gypsy moth spraying in their backyards The GPS-controlled treatment is supposed to spray Btk when it is directly over the treatment area. The ministry is aiming to finish the aerial-spraying by mid-June, if there are no delays because of poor weather or windy conditions. Any residents wanting to avoid contact with the spray will have to remain indoors with their windows and doors closed during the treatment, and for at least 30 minutes after. The provincial government warns any frightened animals or livestock should be moved inside, and that items outside should be covered or moved indoors. A 24-hour bulletin will be issued before each treatment, residents can call 1-866-917-5999 for more information.<doc-sep>
Wednesday marks the first day for aerial-spraying treatment to eradicate invasive gypsy moths in North Surrey The province says there will be three sets of spray treatment for gypsy moths this spring in Surrey SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Notice low-flying planes in parts of Surrey Wednesday morning? Spraying for gypsy moths has begun in the area just south of the Port Mann Bridge, near Highway 1 and Highway 17. The province says three sets of treatment will be done this spring, and will take place from sunrise until about 7:30 a.m. daily. It’s unclear when the second and third spraying dates are scheduled for at this time. The same area was sprayed by hand back in 2017 and 2018, but apparently was not effective. The province believes this may have been because of limited access. Gypsy moths are an invasive species that can cause extensive damage as the caterpillars strip leaves off trees and shrubs. Meantime, the full-grown moths like to eat the leaves off apple and other fruit trees. Foray 48B is being used, and is being applied to 62-hectares. According to the province, the product contains bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki, which is an ingredient that’s been approved to control gypsy moth larvae in this country since the 1960s. The province says the ingredient isn’t a danger to humans, mammals, birds, fish, plants, reptiles, amphibians, bees or other insects, and apparently only affects caterpillars after they’ve ingested it. It’s recommended you bring any pets or livestock that might get frightened by the planes indoors, and cover anything you don’t want sprayed if you are in the affected areas. If you want to minimize contact with the spray, the province says you might want to stay inside and close your windows and doors during the spraying, and at least a half hour after it’s done.