Are there any viable alternatives to aerial operations?
Aerial spraying is the only reliable way to reach larvae high in the canopies of hard-to-reach trees. MAF has investigated alternatives to aerial spraying but, unfortunately, none of them are viable. Two most frequently mentioned alternatives are ground spraying and host removal. (Hosts are plants that the painted apple moth eats or lives in.) Unfortunately neither are as effective as aerial spraying. Ground spraying doesn’t reach larvae high in canopies. Removing hosts wouldn’t work either because the pest would simply move to new hosts. The moth has quickly adapted to several native and introduced plants common in New Zealand and it is likely that it will adapt to many more.
