PDA Adds Eleven Counties to Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area

Harrisburg - On Saturday March 26, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) added eleven additional Pennsylvania counties to the area under the spotted lanternfly (SLF) quarantine as the destructive insect moves across the state. Counties added to the quarantine area are Adams, Armstrong, Bedford, Centre, Fulton, Indiana, Lycoming, Mercer, Snyder, Union and Washington.

Businesses operating in the quarantine area must apply for a permit to operate within the quarantine area and follow rules governing the movement of their vehicles and products which could harbor SLF eggs, and hatched juvenile and adult insects. Businesses are responsible for educating their employees and taking mitigation measures necessary to prevent the spread of SLF to areas outside of the quarantine area.

To see a map of the entire quarantine area and get information on obtaining a permit, click here.

To help our industry guard against spreading SLF egg masses and other life stages of the insect, the Pennsylvania of Agriculture has developed in cooperation with PLNA a set of best management practices (BMPs) checklists for each segment of our industry: wholesale nurseries, retail garden centers and landscape contractors. Each set of BMPs is tailored specifically to that segment.

These BMPs are available for download from the PDA website at the links below:

Spotted Lanternfly Best Management Practices for Wholesale Nurseries

Spotted Lanternfly Best Management Practices for Retail Garden Centers

Spotted Lanternfly Best Management Practices for Landscape Contractors

Other resources for SLF management can be found at the PDA website and the Penn State Extension website.

Please download these BMPs and use them in your business this spring. Help stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly!