| Gypsy moths love West Virginia hardwoods.
Officials say the insects devoured 81,000 acres of forest this year, a four-percent increase this year, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
The heaviest damage was in Greenbrier and Monroe counties, where roughly 85 square miles of forest were defoliated.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for next year's aerial spraying program to help slow the insects' spread.
| 
