B.C. to spray pesticide on Vancouver Island to combat invasive moths

An adult male Lymantria moth is pictured: (Province of B.C.)

B.C.'s Ministry of Forests is planning to spray a pesticide over three areas of Vancouver Island this spring, in an effort to manage Lymantria moths.

Up to four aerial treatments each will take place in the View Royal, Nanoose Bay, and Cowichan Lake areas between April 15 and June 30.

In View Royal, the pesticide will be used in a 50-hectare area south of Thetis Lake Regional Park and the Trans-Canada Highway.

In the Mid-Island, the spray will be deployed over 1,068 hectares south of Nanoose Bay to the northern boundary of Nanaimo.

Lastly, a 402-hectare area of Cowichan Lake, including a portion of the Town of Lake Cowichan and the easternmost tip of the lake, will be sprayed this spring.

The province will be using Foray 48B, which uses the active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki (Btk). Officials say that Btk has been used to control Lymantria moth populations in Canada since 1961 and that it does not harm people, or other animals and insects.

AN INTRODUCED PEST

The Ministry of Forests also plans to spray five other areas on the mainland to manage the invasive moths.

"Last year’s monitoring program trapped 98 male moths in these eight areas, indicating that the moths could become established in those locations if the proposed pesticide spraying is not done," said the province in a release Thursday.

The ministry believes that an increase in Lymantria moth populations in B.C. may have been caused by outbreaks in Ontario and Quebec over the last three years.

Lymantria moth eggs can be transported to B.C. if they're attached to RVs or other outdoor items that were in affected areas.

"If left untreated, the invasive Lymantria moths could spread to other areas of British Columbia and pose a threat to native forests, orchards and urban trees," said the province.

The moths can target Garry oaks as well as fruit trees and shrubs, such as apple trees and blueberry bushes.

Anyone living in a planned spray area can send a comment to the Ministry of Environment to have the application permit evaluated or reviewed.

The permit number is 738-0032-21/24 and comments should be sent to the Integrated Pest Management Act administrator, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Suite 200-10470 152 St., Surrey, B.C. V3R 0Y3, by March 12.