Davis residents who live near where efforts begin this month to eradicate the light brown apple moth are invited to an informational meeting.

Residents in the eradication areas will receive invitations to an open house to be held 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at Veterans Memorial Center,203 14th St., Davis.

The nickel-sized invasive moth was discovered in Davis in April. Since then, more of the moths have been detected.

To eradicate the pests, state agricultural officials want to affix twist ties coated with pheromones designed to disrupt mating on trees.

The moth, a native of Australia, appeared in theBay Area in early 2007, and state officials have been trying since then to get rid of it. The campaign attracted wide attention in late 2007 after residents of Santa Cruz and other communities loudly protested the government's aerial pheromone-spraying campaign, which was then abandoned.