HARRISBURG, Pa. — Greene County is now among 52 Pennsylvania counties quarantined due to confirmed populations of the invasive pest, spotted lanternfly, according to Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, who also encouraged Pennsylvanians to destroy lanternfly eggs in the coming weeks prior to the spring hatch.
The invasive spotted lanternfly was first discovered in the U.S. in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014. While concerted efforts among states and industry have slowed its spread, the insect, which spreads largely by hitching rides on cars and other vehicles, continues to threaten valuable food and ornamental crops.
Adult insects die off over the winter after laying tiny rows of eggs and covering them with a putty-colored protective coating.
The egg masses, which can be on any outdoor surface from trees and rocks to equipment and law furniture, each contain 30-50 eggs approximately the size of a pinhead and have survived winters in sub-zero temperatures. Scraping and smashing the egg masses is easy and requires no special tools.
The quarantine prohibits moving lanternflies at any stage of life, as well as infested items like firewood, brush and other debris. Among other measures, it also requires those who operate businesses or travel for business in and out of quarantined counties to get a permit. Those interested in learning how to recognize and report spotted lanternflies can visit agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly for more information.
