Do Not Spray: The Little Moth Causing Big Protests
Does aerial biochemical spraying really work to control foreign species? Many communities extensively sprayed pesticides in an effort to control the spread of West Nile Virus, yet mosquitoes quickly spread this disease across the continental United States in just a few short years. Will aerial pesticide spraying combat the spread of the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM), or is this moth even a threat?
The LBAM is a moth originating in Australia that has been recently found in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. LBAM is also found in New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hawaii, and the British Isles. The moth does not have a dormancy period and development is continual. It is artificially spread through nursery plants, fresh produce, and green waste.
California officials fear LBAM poses a potential threat to the state’s agriculture, but their own projections state the greatest environmental impact as:
Establishment of this moth could cause direct environmental damage via increased pesticide use statewide by commercial and residential growers and via adverse feeding impacts on native plants.
