Erie County Times

Spotted lantern flies are an invasive species to Pennsylvania and the rest of the U.S., and last week the state's agriculture department added 11 counties to a quarantine list in an effort to control the issue statewide.

According to an announcement by Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, the quarantine now totals 45 counties. The newly added counties include: Adams, Armstrong, Bedford, Centre, Fulton, Indiana, Lycoming, Mercer, Snyder, Union and Washington.

The adult lantern flies don’t survive the winter, but last year’s insects laid eggs on outdoor surfaces in large masses of 30 to 60 eggs. They are covered with a mud or putty coating, and finding and destroying them will prevent their hatching and spreading. The quarantine would prohibit moving any spotted lantern fly during a living stage, which includes egg masses, nymphs and adults. It also regulates moving articles that could be harboring a lantern fly.

“Spotted lantern flies threaten outdoor businesses and quality of life, as well as grapes and other valuable crops Pennsylvania's economy depends on," Redding said, according to the Official Pennsylvania Government Website. "It's up to every Pennsylvanian to be on the lookout for these bad bugs. Walk your yard, gardens or land before spring hatch and scrape egg masses. Kill every bug. Check your vehicles before traveling to ensure you're not transporting them to a new area for new opportunities to devastate crops and outdoor quality of life.”

The Agriculture Department reported that since lantern flies were first discovered in the U.S. seven seasons ago, research has been done by the department, along with the USDA and private industries, to understand the insect and how to control it safely.

The newly added counties do not have widespread infestations, but there are scattered areas shown on an online map. Once the department receives a report of lantern flies in an area, the presence is confirmed by inspectors and then the area is surveyed to determine if it is an infestation or just an isolated insect. High-risk areas are high-traffic businesses, tourist attractions and transport centers.

Business operating in or traveling through quarantine zones need to get a Spotted Lantern Fly Permit, which is made to educate business travelers to recognize the insect and how to deal with them. There are more than 20,000 companies in the U.S. and Canada who have permits, equating to 1.2 million workers.

For more information about spotted lantern flies, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.