Daily Hatch & Larval Development

The main goal of the Cooperative Suppression Program is to provide technical and funding assistance to county governments. This allows them the opportunity to provide protection from severe gypsy moth populations.

This goal has two objectives.

1. To reduce the risk of severe defoliation and,

2. To reduce the nuisance created by large caterpillar numbers.

How the Program Works

A county, interested in participating in the Cooperative Suppression Program, enters into an agreement with MDA to conduct the Program. MDA provides training, technical support and operational guidelines to the county. The training and guidelines are used to identify areas for treatment. The State of Michigan enters into a contract with an applicator for treatment of the qualified areas. The county receives up to 50% cost-share for the cost of conducting the program.

Eligible and Qualified Treatment Areas

In order for property to be sprayed, it must be eligible and qualify for the program. Eligible lands must fit into one of the 5 categories listed below and they must have at least 25% canopy cover of host tree species in residential areas or 50% canopy cover of host tree species in recreational or special use lands:

CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBILITY

To Qualify, the land proposed for treatment must have a minimum infestation level of:

300 gypsy moth egg masses per acre
for a healthy, building population

OR

500 gypsy moth egg masses per acre
for a stressed, declining population

Treating areas that meet these criteria assures that the objectives of the Cooperative Suppression Program are being met. That is, areas are treated that pose a real threat to tree health and human nuisance issues.