See A Spotted Lantern Fly In NJ? Officials Want You To Kill It

NEW JERSEY - New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher is not kidding around when it comes to the invasive spotted lantern fly cropping up in the Garden State. He's telling you how to kill it.

“We have been working diligently to slow the advance of this bug,” Fisher said. “We are targeting areas where severe infestations have been confirmed, and we also encourage residents to destroy the Spotted Lanternfly if possible when they see it. It will take a combined effort to help keep this pest from spreading.”

According to Fisher, the Department continues to receive numerous calls about this exotic invasive insect and thus is partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service to curb the ongoing spread of the Spotted Lanternfly.

While the Spotted Lanternfly is no threat to humans or animals, it is known to feed on 70 different types of plants and trees. It is native to China and South Korea, but arrived in the U.S. in Berks County, Pa., on a shipment in 2014. The species has been advancing ever since, causing Pennsylvania to have 26 counties currently under quarantine. The New Jersey counties under quarantine are Warren, Hunterdon, Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem and Somerset.

Hitchhiker

The Spotted Lanternfly is a plant hopper and can only fly short distances, Fisher said, but he noted it is an excellent hitchhiker and has been known to ride on any kind of transportation. Officials are asking that anyone who travels in a quarantined county do a quick inspection of their vehicle for the Spotted Lanternfly before leaving.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture and USDA-APHIS have several crews throughout the state that are working to treat areas where infestations have been reported. Those crews may seek permission to come on to a property where large infestations exist. They will have proper identification and follow proper safety protocols. The crews will need to check only the specific areas outdoors where the Spotted Lanternfly has been found. Treatments will only occur on the Tree of Heaven, which the Spotted Lanternfly prefers and is believed to need to reproduce.

Since surveys and treatments for the Spotted Lanternfly in New Jersey began in 2018, there have been more than 200,000 Trees of Heaven treated on almost 19,000 acres.

“NJDA and USDA crews have worked to control the spread of this invasive pest,” NJDA Plant Industry Division Director Joe Zoltowski said. “Its ability to travel easily on any mode of transportation has allowed it to spread. We are asking residents to do their part by eliminating this bug whenever possible.”

If a resident has an infestation they do have the option to take on the pest themselves. Officials have a list of options to safely eliminate the critters. One thing they do not recommend, is items such as sticky traps as they may harm other wildlife.

While the Spotted Lanternfly is currently in its full adult stage, officials say it will begin laying egg masses in early to mid-September. The gray looking egg masses can be scraped off, double bagged and then thrown away. The egg masses can also be placed into alcohol, bleach or hand sanitizer to kill them.

An instructional video on how to destroy the egg masses is available on their website.

Residents outside of the quarantine counties can report the exact address of sightings of the Spotted Lanternfly by emailing Slf-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov or by calling 609-406-6943.

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