Ind. may spray early to combat gypsy moth larvae

State wildlife officials say they may start their annual efforts to combat the invasive gypsy moth as soon as next week because recent 80-degree readings have awakened the pest early from its winter slumber.

Aerial spraying of particles that contain a bacteria deadly to the moth’s destructive caterpillar-like larvae usually don’t start until early May.

But the Indiana Department of Natural Resources says it may start spraying in parts of Allen and Kosciusko counties the week of April 26 because the moth’s offspring are already on the move.

The gypsy moth has a foothold across a large part of northern Indiana, where the voracious appetites of their larvae can quickly defoliate large tracts of forests.