Update as of May 16, 2023

The contractor will get started on Wednesday May 17th due to optimal weather conditions. If anyone has any questions please contact Julius Suchy, Township Manager at the contact information above.

Update as of May 12, 2023

We are looking at a start date of Thurs May 18 right now. Given the warm temps lately, caterpillar and leaf development should be about right mid/late next week. I will continue to provide updates as they are provided by Aquatic Consulting Services.

Update as of May 4, 2023

Below is an update from our consultant regarding a potential spray timeline:

"I wanted to let you know that we are seeing very early egg hatch in the West Michigan area. It’s still very early and we will continue monitoring for peak hatch (often 3-7 days after first hatch) as well as leaf development in the target oak trees. The weather forecast is looking relatively cool for the remainder of this week then quite a bit warmer the following week. So, things should stay slow, but could escalate quickly next week.

To give you an idea of a spray window… The weather is erratic and looks to continue being so. I know we’re going to spray in the next 3 weeks. I am thinking the week on May 15th might be ideal, but that could change if the trees aren’t ready. Also, if next week accelerates things, spraying May 11-12 could be a possibility (weather permitting), but I’d say that’s unlikely. I’ll be in touch later this week as things become more clear.

Update as of April 7, 2023

Click Here for a letter dated April 7, 2023, sent to residents whose property will be sprayed based on the recommended spray program. This letter provides details related to spraying activities for 2023.

Click here for a full listing of all the parcels to be sprayed by address.

Additional information regarding potential spraying dates (when known) will be posted here and shared via our website headline.

Spongy Moths – What is the Plan for 2023?

At its January 9^th board meeting the Township received a report from Aquatic Consulting Services on the Egg Mass Survey they completed on behalf of the Township this winter. This survey was intended to determine the success of the spongy moth spray services that were completed in the spring of 2022.

The report indicated the spraying services were highly successful with Aquatic Consulting Services only recommending 654 acres (shown on the map above) for spraying compared to 2,967 acres last year. According to Aquatic Consulting Services the entire reduction is not due to spraying, but also other environmental factors that play a role in the life cycle of spongy moths.

The Township Board discussed how to proceed at its January 9^th and January 23^rd board meetings and determined that these spray services benefit the entirety of the Township so the cost would be paid out of the general fund as opposed to a special assessment to impacted property owners. The next step is to provide a letter to all impacted property owners so they are aware of what will happen and when.

If you have any questions about Spongy Moths or the potential spray program please contact Julius Suchy, Township Manager at 616-676-9191 ext. 7348 or via e-mail at jsuchy@adatownshipmi.com.

The documents linked below are:

1. Click Here - Letter from Aquatic Consulting Services Regarding our Report
2. Click Here - Survey Completed by Aquatic Consulting Services
3. Click Here - Original Map of the Areas Aquatic Consulting Services is Recommending to Spray

Update as of May 24, 2022

All spraying for 2022 has been completed. The Township will complete an egg mass survey later in the year to determine spraying needs for the spring of 2023. Once completed the Township would communicate with impacted property owners about the process and timeline.

Update as of May 19, 2022

Hamilton Helicopter is planning to start aerial spraying in the West Michigan area beginning Monday, May 23, weather permitting. There will be 2-3 helicopters spraying various areas in West Michigan during that time, so it will be difficult to say exactly which blocks will be sprayed at a given time. The applicators usually start around 7am, and we will stop for the day when/if the weather conditions become unsatisfactory (high wind, possible rain, low humidity). I will email again Monday morning letting you know we do plan to spray, and I'll email again once the spray is complete.

Update as of April 19, 2022

Hamilton Helicopter has provided an updated date of potential spraying, based on current forecasts it is anticipated it will be later May or at latest the 5th of June.

Click here for a letter dated April 15, 2022 sent to residents whose property will be sprayed based on the recommended spray program. This letter provides details related to cost, when the spraying will take place and will the Township need to spray in subsequent years.

Since the letter went out, there has been a minor update to the map and the total # of acres to be sprayed. This mainly impacts Seidman Park. An updated map can be found here - Updated Spray Map

Click here for a full listing of all the parcels to be sprayed by address.

Why are we spraying?

At the January 10th Township Board Meeting, Neal Swanson of Aquatic Consulting Services provided a report on spongy (gypsy) moths following physical surveys completed by Aquatic Consulting Services this winter. The full report including maps is available by clicking on the links at the bottom of this page.

In summary the report confirmed that the areas of concern referenced by residents and Township officials are infested with spongy (gypsy) moths. Mr. Swanson believes that Ada was able to catch the populations on the rise and using the survey data, will be able to create a spray and monitor protocol that will limit further population growth and damage throughout the Township.

The total acreage recommended for spraying is 2,967 acres. The spray area as outlined in the report is only the areas with significant, potentially damaging population densities. There are areas with less severe infestations that were not recommended for spraying, but should be monitored moving forward.

The Township board voted to move forward with a spray program in 2022 and has entered into an agreement with Hamilton Helicopter to spray in late May or early June of 2022 - weather dependent. The Township has mailed out letters to all property owners whose property is located in the areas to be sprayed.

Based on the quote from Hamilton Helicopter, it is estimated the cost for the upcoming year will be approximately $200,000. The Township Board has included funding for this program in the adopted FY 2022-2023 budget. Future years of the spray program will be covered by a special assessment to impacted residents, although this will be discussed next year prior to a special assessment being finalized. Any resident who would be subject to the special assessment would be notified well in advance of this action taking place.

Any questions regarding the report or process summarized above can be sent to Julius Suchy, Township Manager via e-mail jsuchy@adatownshipmi.com, or via phone 616-676-9191 ext. 48. I understand that residents will have a number of questions and I recommend you read the full report with maps on our website before reaching out with questions.

The documents linked below are:

1. Click Here - Letter from Aquatic Consulting Services Regarding our Report
2. Click Here - Survey Completed by Aquatic Consulting Services
3. Click Here - Original Map of the Areas Aquatic Consulting Services is Recommending to Spray

General Information

Click Here for more information about the spongy (gypsy) moth feeding season from the Michigan DNR.

Click Here for Questions & Answers about using BTK to control spongy (gypsy) moths.

Click Here for more information about BTK and Honeybees