The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is looking to slow the spread of the gypsy moth, more recently known as the spongy moth. A specialized treatment uses the pheromone of the female spongy moth to overstimulate the male spongy moths and make it harder for them to find females. The goal is to disrupt the species’ mating cycle. When the spongy moth feeds in large numbers the impact to plants can be devastating. The Dept. of Agriculture said the treatment does not impact other insects, mammals or the surrounding environment. Nearly six thousand acres will be treated in Wirt and Roane counties, and then areas in Mingo and McDowell counties.