Representatives from the Department of Agriculture will meet with residents in February about a plan to spray areas around Capitol Hill as part of a statewide gypsy moth eradication program.

The department is holding a series of open houses around the state. The Seattle meeting is slated for 5:30 to 7:30 PM, February 24th at the Miller Community Center — smack in the zone where where 22 European gypsy moths were caught in traps last year.

For those who like to complain about new people ruining the neighborhood, you can add the presence of the moths to your list.

The most likely culprit behind the destructive moths is someone moving here from out-of-state — likely from one of the 19 states in the mid-Atlantic, New England and upper Midwest where gypsy moths are well established. Females will lay their eggs on a flat surface, and the moths stay in that egg state for about nine months — plenty of time for someone moving here to accidentally import the pests.

“European gypsy moths usually come from people moving here, or bringing items from other states,” Karla Salp, community outreach and environmental education specialist for the Department of Agriculture, said. She added that there’s no way to know for sure how the infestation began so don’t expect the department to be pointing any fingers.

“It’s clear that there’s a reproducing group in Capitol Hill.”

The agency caught 22 of the moths here in 2015, mostly around 17th Ave E and E John, and now has plans to spray an insecticide called Btk, in a 130-acre area, likely in late April.

Statewide, there were 32 European Gypsy moths found last year. The other 10 were scattered across the state, and have not reached a point where the department thinks treatment is necessary. Since a single moth can’t reproduce, findings of such low numbers are usually left to die out on their own.

On Capitol Hill, we’ve got a definite problem. Salp said that while there were 22 found last year, there were six in 2014 and one each found in 2013 and 2012. State officials also found eight egg masses in the area last year, each of which can mean from 100-1,500 eggs.

“It’s clear that there’s a reproducing group in Capitol Hill,” she said.

Asian gypsy moths, which can be an even bigger problem, were found in 10 spots around the state, mostly clustered around the Port of Tacoma. The state will spray if it finds even one of these pests, which can be even more invasive. The Asian moths, which probably hitched a ride on a container ship from Asia, fly and will eat coniferous trees, two thing the European moths typically don’t do. As a result, they can spread faster and are more dangerous to our evergreen trees.

CHS wrote here about the differences between the moths, the history behind the infestation and why they’re such nasty neighbors. Gypsy moths caterpillars are incredibly voracious and not terribly picking, having been documented eating over 300 species of trees and shrubs.

The state has been treating for gypsy moths since 1979. As of last year, they had conducted 93 eradication efforts across the state, including one here in 2006. Last year, the department deployed about 16,000 traps to attempt to detect gypsy moths across the state. Salp said that in general, trapping efforts are seen around ports and other points of entry, with another focus being on areas where they’ve previously trapped and found moths.

In winter, the moths are in egg form. They hatch and the caterpillars are active from spring into early summer when they will go through their chrysalis phase before becoming adult moths. The adults live only for a couple weeks, during which time they do not eat, only reproduce.

The spraying itself will consist of three to five treatments, likely delivered by helicopter. Salp said the ideal number is three, but sometimes circumstances such as rain shortly after a spraying, can mean that areas will need to be treated again.

Btk is a bacteria believed to be very low risk to humans and animals other than moths and their close relatives (some disagree), though the department does recommend limiting exposure during spraying. Salp said the department is going to have several ways to find out about spraying in advance. At present, residents can visit the department’s gypsy moth webpage to sign up for email alerts about the spraying, and just for more information generally. Salp said that before the spraying program starts, people will also be able to sign up to get phone or text alerts. She said spraying plans can change rapidly depending on weather conditions.

Sometime in late February or early March, the department will publish an environmental assessment and will continue to accept public comment for 30 days after that before making a final plan. To comment, email [email protected].