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

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 4, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the District of Kent Community Recreation and Cultural Centre, multi-purpose room B, 6660 Pioneer Ave., Agassiz.

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 proposed ground spray.

Trapping and monitoring results over the past two years indicate a growing gypsy moth population in the proposed 41-hectare treatment area of residential and farm land in Agassiz.

If left untreated, the moth could spread to new areas of the province through vehicles, containers and rail and marine vessels, and lead to quarantines which would impact agricultural and horticultural businesses in the area.

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:

Learn more about gypsy moths: www.gov.bc.ca/gypsymoth
Or call toll-free: 1 866 917-5999

Multilingual health information is available by calling the BC Nurseline at: 8-1-1

Chief medical health officer Dr. Richard Stanwick discusses Gypsy Moth spray treatment programs: https://youtu.be/FzTSmsxkJtc