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

The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 5, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Erma Stephenson Elementary school gymnasium, 10929 160 Street, Surrey.

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 four years indicate a growing gypsy moth population in the proposed treatment area — 46.5 hectares of residential land in North Surrey.

If left untreated, the moth could spread to new areas of the province through vehicles, containers, rail cars 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