Spotted lanternfly a pest in Berks, could spread north
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTO - A Spotted Lanternfly on a sidewalk in Maxatawny Township, Berks County on August 27, 2019.
By Kaylee Lindenmuth | [email protected]
KUTZTOWN, Berks County – Have you seen this bug? It’s not local to us just yet, and it’s not supposed to be.
It’s called the Spotted Lanternfly — an invasive species from southeast Asia — and state officials say it’s a threat to Pennsylvania’s grape, tree-fruit, hardwood, nursery and landscape industries.
The grey and red planthopper was first found in Berks County and has since spread throughout the southeastern part of the state, prompting a “quarantine” of 14 counties by the PA Department of Agriculture, including Schuylkill County. Surrounding counties, Columbia, Luzerne, and Northumberland, are not included in the quarantine, though Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks, Lehigh, and Carbon are.
“The quarantine is in place to stop the movement of Spotted Lanternfly to new areas within or out of the current quarantine zone and to slow its spread within the quarantine,” the department writes on its website.
While the bug has yet to be reported in northern Schuylkill County, it’s important for residents, especially those who regularly travel into areas where the bug is present, to be aware of the pest, and to make sure it doesn’t come back with you to Shenandoah, Ashland, Mahanoy City, Nuremberg, or anywhere else.
“Because we have such a transient population, it is important we do our part to prevent further spread of this pest,” said Bryan Salvadore, Kutztown University Director of Communications.
He shared a pair of tips for students and their families.
“If driving off campus, and especially if driving into a non-quarantined area, please check your vehicle for any uninvited hitch hikers (SLF) and remove them,” Salvadore said in an email. “Per the PDA: What else? Kill it! Squash it, smash it…just get rid of it. In the fall, these bugs will lay egg masses with 30-50 eggs each. These are called bad bugs for a reason, don’t let them take over your county next.”
The PA Department of Agriculture and the Penn State Extension have set up an online tool to report sightings of the bug, particularly in areas where it is not already present.
For more information, visit the PDA’s website.
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