HANOVER TOWNSHIP -- If you had to fight off gypsy moth caterpillars last year, you might have an even bigger challenge this year.
The caterpillars are supposed to be back again with a vengeance, and homeowners in Luzerne County are wondering how to fight back.
Gypsy moth caterpillars are tiny creatures, but they did big damage to a neighborhood on Tomko Avenue near Nanticoke last year.
"That was crazy, they were all over," said Eugene Kobal. "I have a pool, it was filled with them. All the trees were eaten."
Last June, the bugs ate trees, overtook yards, and damaged homes after many people waited too late to have them sprayed.
"You really want to get the caterpillars when they're small. The bigger the caterpillars get, the bigger the problem they become," explained Keri Skvarla of the Luzerne County Engineering Office.
Unlike last year, Luzerne County is now enrolled in the state's spraying program, but not as many people signed up for it as the county hoped.
"There's a good chance this year could be as bad if not, worse than last year was," Skvarla said.
Residents who live on Tomko Avenue say the county's spraying program is just too expensive, so they're considering pulling their resources together as a neighborhood to privately spray.
"There's quite a few who said already, who we have talked to, who said come and see us when the time comes," said Cathy Cirko.
Circko says it would have cost more than $500 to spray her acre of land in the county program because not enough neighbors bought into it.
"They said they could not spray unless it was 20 acres."
If she gets enough people to sign up with her and a private contractor, she estimates each will pay roughly $50, so they don't have to live through another gypsy moth invasion.
"Last year was awful, it was devastating. It was just horrific what we had to go through."
The county says the cost to spray depends on how many neighbors sign for the service and how many acres each property includes.