Plant Industry - Proposed Spongy Moth Management

Spongy (formerly Gypsy) Moth Program 2026 Proposed Spongy Moth Management

As part of the environmental assessment process, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services provides information on spongy moth biology and management and solicits comments from the general public. As a courtesy to those who live in and around management areas, we also collect contact information if you would like to be notified the day before a specific management plan takes place. For more information about spongy moth biology and management options, please click here to watch a short video or click on the embedded video below. For more information about spongy moth biology and management options, click on the embedded video below.

Please click on the 2026 Spongy Moth Management map  below to view managed locations and for information about public information events for each proposed management area. For additional information please call 984-867-6127. To submit a public comment for a particular management area or to request management notifications, please click Survey 123 or submit the electronic form at the end of the webpage.

Proposed 2026 Spongy Moth Management Blocks - type your address into the search bar on the map below to see if you reside in one of the proposed management blocks for 2026.

2026 Proposed Management Area Descriptions

Waynesville area: Two proposed treatment blocks totaling 10,430 acres are located in Haywood County. These blocks overlap with the exterior block measuring 9,129 acres and the smaller, interior block measuring 1,301 acres. The southwestern corner of the exterior block is about 0.43 miles east of mile marker 446 (Woodfin Cascades Overlook) on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The northeastern corner of the exterior block is about 1.05 miles west of the intersection between Delwood Road and Happy Acres Road. There are 2,018 residential buildings out of the 3,008 total buildings and structures within the exterior treatment block. 

In 2024 we caught a total of 2,656 male moths in these blocks which prompted us to treat this area in spring of 2025. After treatment, male moth captured decreased to 613 but remains an area of high priority. The interior block contains the highest populations captured in 2025. Two applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki are proposed for the interior block. The exterior block contains smaller, more dispersed populations. One application of pheromone mating disruption is proposed for this block to limit further population growth. These two proposed treatment blocks will be applied separately and will not overlap.

Zionville/Elk Knob area: This 2,450 acre proposed treatment block is located in Watauga County. A portion of Elk Knob State Park adjacent to Meat Camp Road is located within this block. The southwestern corner of this block is located about 1.75 miles east of the intersection between US Highway 421 North and West Slabtown Road. The northeast corner of the block is about 1.06 miles south of the intersection between Sutherland Road and Brown Hollow Road. There are 99 residential buildings out of the 126 total buildings and structures within this treatment block. In 2025, we captured 64 male moths, indicating a reproducing population is present. Two applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki are proposed for this block.

Stokes County/Sauratown area: Two proposed treatment blocks totaling 2,806 acres are located in Stokes County. These blocks overlap with the exterior block totaling 2,675 acres and the smaller, interior block totaling 131 acres. The northwest corner of the block is located about 2.8 miles east of the intersection of NC 268 East and Venable Road. The southeastern corner is about 1.03 miles west of the intersection of NC 66 South and Charlie Hartgrove Road. There are 37 residential buildings out of the 96 total buildings and structures located within this treatment block. 

In 2025, we captured 2,373 male moths in the interior block and 20 male moths in the exterior block. Two applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki are proposed for the smaller, interior block and one application of pheromone mating disruption is proposed for the exterior block.

Salisbury area: This 1,404 acre proposed treatment block is located in Rowan County. The easternmost corner of this block is about 0.2 miles north of the intersection between Goodman Lake Road and Meadow Lake Drive. The westernmost corner of the block is about 0.17 miles southeast of the intersection between Bringle Ferry Road and Mahaley Road. There are 226 residential buildings out of the 323 total buildings and structures located within this treatment block. In 2025, we captured 53 male moths within this block, indicating a reproducing population is present. One application of pheromone mating disruption is proposed for this block to limit further population growth.

Warren area: This 1,069 acre proposed treatment block is located in Warren County. The northwestern corner of the block is about 1.16 miles west of the intersection between Warren Plains Road and Blue Devil Road. The southeastern corner of the block is about 0.45 miles southwest of the intersection between Oakville Road and Doc Thomson Road. There are 37 residential buildings out of the 54 total buildings and structures located within this treatment block. In 2025, we captured 30 male moths within this block, indicating a reproducing population is present. One application of pheromone mating disruption is proposed for this block to limit further population growth.

Centerville area: This 1,119 acre proposed treatment block is located in Franklin County. The northwestern corner of this block is about 0.24 miles from the intersection between NC Highway 58 and Karys Drive. The southeastern corner of this block is about 1.08 miles east of the intersection between Collins Mill Road and Halifax Avenue. There are 31 residential buildings out of the 57 total buildings and structures located within this treatment block. In 2025, we captured 64 male moths within this block, indicating a reproducing population is present. One application of pheromone mating disruption is proposed for this block to limit further population growth.

Knotts Island/Carova area: This 1,506 acre proposed treatment block is located in Currituck County just below the North Carolina-Virginia state line and is contiguous with a proposed treatment block in Virginia. No major roads pass through this block, which is bordered to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and to the west by Knott’s Island Channel. This is a beach dune community, with small pine and oaks composing the wooded areas, along with grasses and small shrubs such as yaupon and wax myrtle. There are 61 residential buildings out of the 370 total buildings and structures located within this treatment block. In 2024, we caught a total of 437 male moths in this block. We were unable to treat this area in 2025 leading to an increased catch of 850 that same year. One application of Gypchek is proposed for this block in 2026 to limit further population growth. Gypchek will not affect any insect or other animal species other than spongy moth.

For Additional Information Contact: 
Amy Michael - Entomological Programs Manager 
Phone: (919) 707-3749