Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) have approved for the Six Nations territory to undergo Gypsy Moth Spraying with aerial pesticides to control the population of the insects and ensure the local tree health within the territory. The approval was given during the May 15 General Finance Meeting for SNEC.

SNEC say that the spraying will cover 6,800 acres on Six Nations and will cost roughly $322,000. SNEC said that the project will be sourced from the Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership funds that SNEC oversee.

According to the Government of Canada "Gypsy moths are a concern because the larvae feed voraciously, mostly on the leaves of deciduous (leafy) trees, but also on some conifers (evergreens). During the larval stage, a single gypsy moth caterpillar can eat an average of one square metre of leaves".

Coun. Kerry Bomberry detailed how the specific areas were chosen for spraying, mentioning that an egg count was done for the invasive species on the territory by Trees Unlimited.

"He (Paul Robertson, from Trees Unlimited) did a very thorough egg mass count and there were some places that didn't require spraying because there was zero egg mass." Bomberry said.

Coun. Hazel Johnson said she would like to see Six Nations get ahead of this issues to ensure that the trees on the territory remain in good health.

"We always have to be ahead of these infestations," she said. "I would hate to see our trees get to the point where they did a few years back when there was no leaves in the summertime. I think we should always be ahead of this game, and it's going to cost money but we have to do it."

Specific dates for the gypsy moth spraying to take place has not yet been marked but SNEC say that once the dates are confirmed, community members will be notified promptly to take precautions. Last year, the spraying took place on Six Nations on May 24.

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