Gypsy moth spraying OK'd

HARDYSTON — Gypsy Moths are getting ready to invade Beaver Lake. A state survey found that the Beaver Lake community is home to a high degree of gypsy moth egg masses and the community is therefore eligible to participate in a spraying program. As the only locale within Hardyston registering so high on the egg mass charts, Beaver Lake residents wanted to make sure they could get sprayed. But, since the program is run by the state, with federal dollars contributing toward the costs, the community needed the township to get on board. Since Beaver Lake is a private community, it didn’t make sense to use taxpayer dollars to foot the bill, even with the state and federal financial incentives. According to Township Manager Marianne Smith, the township met the Dec. 19 deadline to sign up. It has agreed to put forward the money for aerial spraying, at the request of the Beaver Lake community, which will fully reimburse the township. Spraying is done by contractors already vetted by the state. After all the state and federal dollars kick in, the spraying is expected to cost between $15,000 and $20,000. Smith says the community has set aside money to pay the bill. The timetable for the work is unknown. “The township has agreed to go along and we’ll be taking our cues from the state,” Smith said. By the numbers A “normal” egg count for gypsy moths is usually between 700 and 1,000, according to the state study. The count in Beaver Lake is above 3,000. The survey found that more than 261 acres of Beaver Lake has a high level of infestation.