Sometimes a little mistake becomes a big mistake. In 1869, L. Trouvelot brought gypsy moths to Boston from Europe in the hope that he could breed a hardier silkworm. Turns out he couldn’t. And he also couldn’t keep the gypsy moths contained. Twenty years later they were causing problems in Massachusetts.
Since then, despite multiple approaches to slow their spread, gypsy moth caterpillars continue to defoliate large areas and continue their slow munch, munch, munch across the country, including forays into Cook and Lake counties.
Since 2006 the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has worked to suppress or slow the spread of gypsy moths in Cook and Lake counties. Every year people are hired to trap gypsy moths, and last year a record number were captured. Those results helped with the decision to call for a quarantine on export of wood products from the Arrowhead region, making this the first area to be quarantined in Minnesota.
On Tuesday, June 18, Lucia Hunt from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will appear before the county board with information about the proposed 2014 quarantine for gypsy moths in Cook and Lake counties. The Cook County News- Herald asked Hunt the following questions about-proposed regulations and rules.
.How long will the quarantine last?
“Quarantines can be repealed once the threat is subsided, but in the case of gypsy moths, the first quarantines established in 1912 are still in effect.”
. Does MDA treat gypsy moths during the quarantine?
“Yes, quarantined areas can still be treated as part of the Slow the Spread approach.”
. How much does it cost for a lumber mill to ship wood out of a quarantine area?
“At this time, MDA does not charge for compliance agreements.”
. Who will make sure the rules are enforced?
“MDA has regulatory authority to enforce the quarantine but we anticipate cooperation from all stakeholders.”
. What kinds of fines/penalties are in place to keep the quarantine in effect?
“Fines and penalties are determined on a case-by-case basis in accordance with Minnesota statutes. Penalties range from administrative to civil actions and are based on type and seriousness of violation.”
. How well do quarantines work in light of the moths spreading to Cook/Lake counties with quarantines in place in some Wisconsin and Michigan counties?
“Quarantines are one component of a multiagency, multi-state program to slow if not stop the impacts of gypsy moth. Eradication treatments eliminate populations well in advance of the population ‘front.’ Slow the Spread trapping and treatments eliminate populations well in advance of the population front, and quarantines are established behind the front to contain the pest. Historic rates (since 1966) have been around 20 kilometers per year using quarantines alone. Those rates have dropped over 60 percent since the implementation of the Slow the Spread in 2000, delaying the establishment of the insect and the need for quarantine.”
. How much would it cost a logger or lumber mill to learn the compliancy rules?
“At this time there is no charge for compliance agreement training.”
. If 21 states already have quarantines, what data do you have regarding the effectiveness of quarantines?
“Quarantines have been used since biblical times to control the spread of human pestilence and disease. The first quarantines for plant pests were to prevent the spread of grape phylloxera in the late 1800s. Quarantines are essential for international trade and are used globally to contain any number of pests and diseases for humans, plants, and animals. There are many people in research, academia, and government who have studied quarantines.”
. Was the decision to put the quarantine in Lake and Cook counties MDA’s alone?
“Minnesota uses the Gypsy Moth Senior Executive Committee (GMSEC), comprised of representatives from MDA, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the University of Minnesota, the APHIS PPQ [Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine program], US Forest Service, and the USDA to make these decisions. The final decision will be made by the gypsy moth national program manager (APHIS) and the Agriculture Commissioner.”
. Does anyone else have a say in this decision?
“At this point we have made a proposal for quarantine and are in the process of gathering information about impacts. Industry, environmental, and local governments are welcome to weigh in on the proposal either via the survey (survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e7baqfkwhfb811w/start) or through written comments sent to gypsy.moth@state.mn.us.”
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