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More areas being warned about Spotted Lanternfly

Published  November 28, 2016 2:39pm EST
US
FOX 29 Philadelphia

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTXF) - You may not have heard of it and probably don't want to run into one, but the Spotted Lanternfly has been found in 25 more southeastern Pennsylvania municipalities.

Now, state Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding is calling for vigilance and asking people to contain and eradicate the invasive species.

"Many of these latest discoveries are the result of citizens reporting their findings," Secretary Redding said. "It they had simply ignored what they found, that would have allowed the pest to spread, potentially reaching more areas and creating an even larger problem. If we're going to be successful in eradicating this pest, it's going to take a collaborative effort. It's going to take us all working together and sharing information."

These are the quarantined municipalities, including some new ones, by county:

Montgomery County : Douglass, Marlborough, New Hanover, Upper Hanover, Upper Providence, Upper Pottsgrove, Upper Salford, Upper Frederick, Limerick, Lower Frederick, Lower Pottsgrove and West Pottsgrove townships, and the boroughs of East Greenville, Pennsburg, Pottstown, Red Hill and Royersford.

Bucks County : Milford and Richland townships and Richlandtown, Quakertown and Trumbauersville boroughs.

Chester County : East Vincent, East Coventry, North Coventry and South Coventry townships and Spring City Borough.

Berks County : Alsace, Amity, Centre, Colebrookdale, Douglass, District, Douglass, Earl, Exeter, Hereford, Longswamp, Maiden Creek Maxatawny, Oley, Pike, Richmond, Robeson, Rockland, Ruscombmanor, Union and Washington townships, and the boroughs of Bally, Bechtelsville, Birdsboro, Boyertown, Centreport, Fleetwood, Kutztown, Lyons, St. Lawrence and Topton.

Lehigh County : Upper Saucon, Lower Macungie, Upper Macungie, Upper Milford, Lower Milford, Whitehall, and South Whitehall townships; the boroughs of Alburtis, Emmaus and Macungie; and the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem.

Northampton County : Bethlehem City.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, "The Spotted Lanternfly is an inch-long black, red and white spotted pest and is native to China, India, Japan and Vietnam. It is an invasive species in Korea, where it has attacked 25 plant species that also grow in Pennsylvania."

In the fall, adults lay egg masses which can include outdoor furniture, equipment, stone and block, as well as the outsides and undersides of vehicles.

The pest - which lays eggs containing 35-50 young Spotted Lanternflies on nearly any flat surface in the fall -- had not been found in the U.S. before Berks County in 2014.

If you see eggs in the quarantine zone, simply scrape them off, double-bag them and throw them in the garbage, or place the eggs in alcohol or hand sanitizer to kill them.

Outside the quarantined zone, place the sample in alcohol or hand sanitizer in a leak-proof container. Then, get it to your county Penn State Extension office for verification. Don't move live specimens so they can't establish a new home base.

Click here for more details on the Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Checklist, email pictures of adults or egg masses found outside the quarantined areas, or call the Invasive Species Report Line at 1-866-253-7189 to give details of the sighting and your contact information.