The public is invited to attend a community open house and participate in a discussion about the 2018 gypsy moth aerial spray treatment program in Courtenay.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 4 p.m. — 8 p.m. at the Tsolum Building in Lewis Park, Courtenay.

Members of the B.C. gypsy moth technical advisory committee will be joined by representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as other experts, to answer questions and provide information about the 2017 trapping season and the proposed 2018 treatment areas.

Trapping and monitoring results over the past year indicate a growing gypsy moth population in the proposed treatment area, about four kilometres north of Courtenay along Highway 19A (Old Island Highway). If left untreated, the moth could spread to new areas of the province through vehicles, containers and rail and marine vessels.

The gypsy moth is an introduced pest species. The caterpillars feed on tree leaves and can damage forests, farms and orchards. Large gypsy moth populations defoliated sections of forests and residential areas in Ontario and the eastern United States in recent years.

Learn More:

For further information on gypsy moths, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/gypsymoth or, call toll-free: 1 866 917-5999