The city is scheduled to start its gypsy moth aerial spraying program May 15, said city officials this week.

But Bryan Shynal, director of operations and maintenance, confirmed any new areas residents wanted to be spray won't be included in the city's program.

Hamilton politicians approved last month spending $830,000 for an aerial spray program that they hope will curtail the wide-spread infestation of the gypsy moths.

Initially, councillors approved early in April a spray program that only targeted the city's urban areas in Ancaster, Dundas and parts of the mountain. But after an outcry from the rural areas of the city, particularly in Glanbrook, councillors added nearly $258,000 in more money to spray infested land in Binbrook, Greensville, and the Mohawk and Filman Road areas.

The aerial spraying will target such areas as the Dundas Driving Park, The Churchill Park area, and the Lime Kiln Road and Montgomery Drive areas.

During a series of public meetings the city held last month, residents complained about the poor job city officials had done identifying the high concentration of gypsy moth egg masses and the areas where the spraying would be the most useful.

The pesticide that will be used will be Btk, a naturally occurring soil borne bacterium that only targets larvae of moths and butterflies. The spray is not harmful to humans.

Two applications will be needed to cover the infested areas within a 10 to 14 day period.

Mr. Shynal this week acknowledged to councillors during the public works meeting, the severity of the gypsy moth infestation, saying it is "wide spread" across the city.

Angry residents at the Ancaster and Binbrook meetings demanded officials include their lands in any aerial spraying the city conducts.

Mr. Shynal said due to regulations, the spraying pattern had been set March 31 so no further areas could be added.

Glanbrook councillor Dave Mitchell refused to criticize the job city officials have done in assessing the infestation in the rural areas.

Mr. Mitchell applauded staff's decision to expand the spraying program into the rural areas - after residents loudly complained about being left out of the program. He said to include all the lands that should be sprayed would cost about $1.6 million.

The veteran councillor said city officials did investigate all requests made by residents to look at their lands for infestation.

But Mr. Mitchell remained reluctant to point fingers at city officials for moving slowly on the issue. Glanbrook residents have been clambering for the city to spray their areas since last year. For some Binbrook residents this will be the third year they've had to deal with the gypsy moths.

"We are the only city to have the courage to (spray) this year," said Mr. Mitchell. "(City officials) couldn't look at the (egg masses) until after winter. They went out and checked all the ones that were called in (by the public), then they did expand the (spray) program."

Most of his anger is directed at the provincial government for ignoring the infestation issue. Since it was the Liberals who established the Greenbelt legislation, it should be up to the province to pay to spray for the infestation and protect what will be severe devastation to the area's trees, he said.

"The province should step up to the plate," he said."

Mr. Mitchell is afraid Hamilton will lose a significant amount of trees because of the gypsy moth infestation. He is also concerned the city will have to initiate another spray program next year to keep the gypsy moths in check.

"I'm pleased with what we are doing this year," he said. "But it is no where near enough."