Pennsylvania
DCNR Encourages Pennsylvania Forest Landowners to Plan Now for Spring Spongy Moth Treatment
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is urging Pennsylvania’s forest landowners and woodlot owners to start planning now for spongy moth treatment this spring to protect their trees from severe damage.
Spongy moths (Lymantria dispar dispar) are a major threat to Pennsylvania’s forests, having killed millions of oak and other tree species. For the past three years, populations have reached outbreak levels, leading to widespread defoliation. With nearly 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s forests privately owned, DCNR is encouraging landowners to secure aerial treatment services while availability remains.
“Private landowners play a critical role in protecting Pennsylvania’s forests,” State Forester Seth Cassell said. “Early action against spongy moth caterpillars can help prevent widespread tree loss.”
DCNR provides a list of aerial applicators, a suppression guide, and expert foresters in each county to assist landowners in planning treatment.
Spongy moth egg mass surveys are the best way to determine the need for treatment. Female moths lay light tan egg masses — each containing 100 to 1,500 eggs — on trees, rocks, and other surfaces from June to July. For maximum effectiveness, treatment should target small caterpillars during their critical development stage in May. With limited aerial applicators and a short treatment window, landowners should schedule services as soon as possible.
DCNR uses Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) and Tebufenozide (Mimic) — safe and effective products — to suppress infestations. Last year, DCNR treated more than 227,000 acres of state forest and park lands, with the Pennsylvania Game Commission treating another 120,000 acres. This year, DCNR plans to treat approximately 75,000 acres, primarily in northeastern and central Pennsylvania, and PGC plans to treat approximately 38,000 acres. The aggressive spongy moth treatment programs in 2022, 2023, and 2024 have contributed to an overall decline in spongy moth populations with some parts of the state experiencing spongy moth population crashes.
While oak species are the primary target, spongy moth caterpillars also feed on:
- Apple
- Alder
- Aspens
- Basswood
- Birches
- Hemlock
- Pine
- Spruce
- Tamarack (larch)
- Willows
- Witch hazel
For more information, visit DCNR’s spongy moth page for resources and guidance.
Pennsylvania
Man cited after abandoning car in frozen pond at Pennsylvania country club: Police
A man has been cited after police said he drove a vehicle into a frozen pond at a country club in Pennsylvania, left the scene, then spent the night in a hotel.
According to the East Lampeter Township Police Department, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, around 10:38 a.m., officers were called to the Lancaster Country Club after receiving reports about a vehicle in a pond.
Police said that, through an investigation, it was learned that Sung Chun, a 50-year-old man from Hoboken, New Jersey, had driven onto the property the day before around 8:30 p.m., crossed portions of the golf course, and ultimately ended up in a pond.
Chun then exited the vehicle and walked away without reporting the incident and spent the night at a nearby hotel, according to police.
Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department

Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Police said Chun returned to the location while police were on scene investigating the incident and was ultimately cited with “Trespass by Motor Vehicle.”
Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards
Pennsylvania
What the war with Iran could mean for gas prices in western Pennsylvania
The war with Iran could start impacting your wallet as soon as today.
Jim Garrity from AAA East Central says oil prices are up.
“They’re hovering around $72. They were pretty consistently around $65, $66 for a while,” he said.
Nationally, AAA said the average for a gallon of regular sits at about $3, up approximately six cents from last week.
In Pennsylvania, it’s around $3.12 a gallon, and in the Pittsburgh region, it’s around $3.24 a gallon. That’s actually down about four cents from last week.
Garrity added that gas prices this time of year would already be increasing, usually because of higher demand for the warmer months and the production of the summer blend of gas used for those months.
The impacts of what’s happening in Iran may not be immediate, which could be part of why our region and the state overall have not seen a spike yet, he said.
“It could be a couple of days later. It could be up to a week later,” Garrity said.
A lot of people are watching what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Iran borders it to the north, and 20% of the world’s oil goes through it.
Iran is one of the world’s biggest oil producers, and China gets a lot of that oil.
“If there is an impact there, you could see oil start to come in from other parts of the world, which has a downstream effect on [the United States],” Garrity said.
One way you can save on gas if prices increase in our area is by slowing down.
“When you drive faster every five miles, over 50 miles an hour, your fuel efficiency is going down,” Garrity said. “You’re making the car work harder, making the gasoline consumption less effective.”
Garrity added that in 2022, when our area and many others saw some of the highest gas prices ever recorded, people changed their driving habits.
“We saw people make seemingly permanent changes to their driving behaviors, driving less in general, consolidating trips,” he said.
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