David Owens, Extension Entomologist, owensd@udel.edu
As of September 18, Delaware Department of Agriculture has expanded the quarantine zone for spotted lanternfly to include all areas of New Castle County north of the canal. What this means is that if you are moving produce, plant material, equipment and even your personal vehicle out of the quarantine zone, you should perform a visual inspection when leaving to ensure that you are not unwittingly carrying spotted lanternfly adults or eggs. You can find more information at DDA’s spotted lanternfly website: https://agriculture.delaware.gov/plant-industries/spotted-lanternfly/. This website includes a quarantine checklist for folks to print off and use when going north of the canal as well as trainings for business that operate on both sides of the canal to comply with regulations and permits.
If you suspect you have a spotted lanternfly (this is the time of year they are hitchhiking), please report it to Hitchhikerbug@delaware.gov or take a photo and send to your friendly county Extension agent! These are severe pests of landscapes, vineyards, and potentially tree fruits. We do not want them to establish in large populations here in Delaware, especially before management research can be done to figure out how to deal with them.
