Geneva Will Be Organically Treated To Reduce Spongy Moth Population

GENEVA, IL — Geneva is one of 11 communities in northern Illinois that will be organically treated in an attempt to reduce the destructive spongy moth population, officials announced.

The U.S. Forest Service is conducting a nationwide campaign to curtail the non-native pest historically known as the gypsy moth.

A contractor will use low-flying, yellow airplanes at 7 a.m. June 21 or June 22 to spray the area around Fabyan Forest Preserve and Settler's Hill Golf Course east of the Fox River. The treatment area, shown in a map on the city's website, and fly zone include residential portions of Geneva's east side.

The application won't kill spongy moths but rather act as a deterrent for breeding. Once it lands, the substance has the consistency of hand cream and can be washed off with soap and water, officials said.

The species is known for stripping plants and trees bare, leaving them susceptible to disease and potential death. The insect is not a picky eater and will consume almost anything leafy and green.

The federal government's spongy moth suppression program, which also took place in Geneva in 2022, will begin this spring in North Carolina and move northeast into Minnesota by summer.

Residents with questions are encouraged to contact Nancy Johnson, an Illinois spongy moth program manager, at 815-787-5476 or nancy.johnson@illinois.gov.