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HARRISBURG -- Blair and Huntingdon counties are among 12 added to Pennsylvania's Spotted Lanternfly quarantine zone. The quarantine now covers 26 counties.
Businesses that operate in or travel through quarantined counties are required to obtain a Spotted Lanternfly permit.
There is no cost for the permit, which requires managers and/or supervisors to complete the online permit course to demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the pest and quarantine requirements. Those completing the course are considered a trainer and will be responsible for training all employees on what to look for and how to safeguard against moving spotted lanternfly on products, vehicles and other conveyances.
Fines for failure to get a permit can be up to $300 for a criminal citation or up to $20,000 for a civil penalty.
Record keeping of training, inspection of vehicles and control measures taken (such as vehicle washes, destruction of living lanternfly, etc.) must be maintained for a minimum of two years.
"The Spotted Lanternfly is more than a pest in the literal sense," said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. "It's wreaking havoc for home and business owners; kids who just want to play outside; Pennsylvania agriculture and the economy of the state we all call home. Whether you think it's your job or not, we need every Pennsylvanian to keep their eyes peeled for signs of this bad bug -- to scrape every egg mass, squash every bug and report every sighting. We need to unite over our hatred for this pest for our common love: Pennsylvania."
The added counties are not completely infested, but rather have a few municipalities with a known infestation. The other added counties are Allegheny, Beaver, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Luzerne, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry and York.
Locally, Logan Township supervisors last month granted the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture permission to treat trees in Greenwood Park and along township rights-of-way for spotted lanternflies found recently along Old Sixth Avenue Road and along the Chestnut Avenue/North Fourth Avenue corridor.
The department plans to focus on trees of heaven, one of the invasive insect's favorite targets and an invasive species itself, according to Ag Department forester Ethan Park, who made a presentation to the supervisors.
Lanternflies -- native to China, Bangladesh and Vietnam -- attack about 70 species of plants, piercing the bark of trees to feed on sap and secreting a sugary substance during their feeding called honeydew that promotes the growth of black sooty mold, according to Park.
Lanternflies cause the oozing of sap, the wilting and curling of leaves and tree dieback, and they are a threat to grape, apple and hops orchards and the hardwood industry, according to a Department of Agriculture webpage.
Homeowners with questions about treatment are encouraged to contact their local Penn State Extension office or learn about management, including approved sprays, online.
For more information on Spotted Lanternfly, visit agriculture.pa.gov/spotted lanternfly.