Gypsy Moth Destruction At A 40-Year Low

Gypsy Moth destruction this year is at an all-time low, the lowest in more than 40 years, but Marlboro Township was among the hardest hit in the county, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

The department says aerial surveys of forests and wooded areas of the state showed that Marlboro and Tinton Falls also suffered heavy or moderate deforestation, with 13 and 28 acres, respectively. 

But Wall Township had the heaviest deforestation on 63 acres, the largest number in Monmouth County.

The department began keeping records in 1970 when it launched an aggressive spraying program to control the pest. 

This year, only about 1,100 acres were besieged by the moth's larvae, based on the aerial survey conducted in June.  That's a far cry from the 339,240 acres that were affected in 2008, when destruction reached record levels. 

“Fighting the gypsy moth problem in a multitude of ways and partnering with the State Department of Environmental Protection, counties, municipalities and the military bases has led to the lowest populations of the damaging insect in the 42-year history of the program,” state Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher said in a release. “But this success can be short-lived if we do not continue intense surveillance, as well as treatment, when necessary.”